


Angel Training

by Zafona



Series: Angel Training [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Anal Sex, Angels, Arena, Battle, Earth, Heaven, M/M, Pets, Plotty, Political, Porn With Plot, Romance, Sex, Sexual Content, Sexual Slavery, Slavery, Wing Kink, tournament
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-04
Updated: 2013-03-04
Packaged: 2017-12-04 06:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 86,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/707579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zafona/pseuds/Zafona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A world where angels are common only scratches the surface of this story. Privileged people are able to own one, control one; angels are enslaved and pushed to their limits. After ten years this is normal, at least until Dean is given a freshly caught angel for his 18th birthday. Training Castiel to be 'normal' isn't quite what Dean had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"In the last two decades, all over the world, a new species had become known to mankind. Angels. The biblical teachings hadn't proven to be as powerful as those that believed them had hoped; the response to such a creature was simple: Catch them. Train them. Make them our slaves.

 

"The holy beasts hadn't seen it coming and thusly were taken down in the first attempts; humans managed to catch several angels before the things drew back, majority of them shocked and confused. For some reason they had expected a warmer welcome.

 

"From the few that they caught, mankind figured out their weaknesses and different ways to control them; cages were created to hold them, shackles on their limbs held their powers in, and of course a spell cast to force their cooperation. That spell was discovered and used to bind the creature to a single human; they had to listen to every command and whim of the person they were owned by. It was a great help that angels could read minds and all sorts of different things; if their owner so much as wished them to do something it was almost enough to force them into it.

 

"It didn't take long; people went out and hunted these beautiful things for themselves. Angels were caught and enslaved; made to be pets to mankind. It's believed that all angels have been captured though some still think that there are several of them out there, left wild and free. The rest of the angels can be bought though the equipment needed to keep them costs a fortune in itself, forget about the cost to buy the damn thing. Whatever the case, if you could buy one you could train it to do whatever you wanted.

 

"I'd like to take this time to bring up the new tournament that starts tonight in the Angel Battling field of entertainment. See, humans didn't just enslave these creatures we used them. There's all sorts of different fields and events to use your angel in. My personal favourite is the Angel Battling; the tournaments they put everyone in is just insane, and wicked to watch! Any rich bastard can buy an angel and the binding spell; but it takes real skill to catch one and make it yours all on your own-"

 

"Mr. Winchester, that's enough." Mrs. Harvelle stood up from her desk, a tired smile on her face. "We understand the gist of your report, you may have a seat."

 

"But I'm not done-"

 

"You won't get dinged any oral presentation marks, just sit down."

 

Dean frowned but conceded to his Communications teacher; not wanting to press the issue too much. He dropped into a seat and sighed lightly, folding his arms over his chest contemplatively.

 

The rest of class dragged on for Dean; he'd gotten himself riled up thinking about that night's coverage on the new major tournament in his favourite sport. He'd been dreaming of angels since he was a little kid, his mom used to say 'Angels are watching over you' before it became common to own one. He'd dreamt of having his own, becoming the best fighter in the entire league. That is what he really wanted. Sure he loved cars and everything that was being a mechanic but honestly? Angels was what he wanted; their unmatched beauty was enough to want one.

 

The bell rang and he was off, darting down the halls to get his things, a smile on his face.

 

Dean and Sam walked side by side on their way home; Dean would never admit it but Sam was almost his height already, just a few inches off. 'When I get an angel it's going to be shorter than me, that's for sure.' Dean thought dismally, barely able to see the top of his brother's head.

 

"Dean," Sam spoke suddenly, though the nature of his tone was difficult to place. "Do you really think there are angels out there? I mean, left free?"

 

Dean understood it now; Sam had always been adamantly against the enslavement of angels. That was either sadness or some form of hope in his voice. "I'm sure there are, Sammy. And as soon as I have enough money to get the hunting equipment I'm gonna go catch me one."

 

"Dean!" Sam snapped, "They're not animals!"

 

"Well they aren't human either." Dean argued casually.

 

"They talk and think just like us! Most of them do it better than most of us, how can we lock them up in cages and put shackles and collars on them? And some of the things we have them doing is disgusting; I can't believe you watch that horrible show." Sam growled bitterly.

 

"It's a good show," Dean frowned, "It's just fighting-"

 

"We pit them against their own brothers and sisters and tell them to fight! How would you feel if someone kidnapped us and then threw us into a ring together; then told you to beat the shit out of me?"

 

"It's not the same thing, Sam."

 

"How is it not!"

 

Dean walked up the front steps to their house, Sam's bitching faded to the background for him as he watched his dad readjust straps on his truck; a large cage perched on the back. "Dad?" Dean eyed the wire frame of the cage curiously, "What's up?"

 

"I'm going hunting with the guys," John threw a blanket over the heavy metal object, "No big deal."

 

"Bringing back a bear?" Dean stepped back, knowing when he should get his nose out of John's business.

 

"Bringing back something," John walked back toward the house, "Come on inside, your mom's got supper ready."

 

Sam stared at the cage as he walked inside, something unpleasant churning in his stomach. "Dad, what are you gonna catch?"

 

John didn't answer, not wanting to argue with his youngest another time over 'animal cruelty'. "Come on."

 

That night, Dean turned the TV off with a satisfied sigh. His favourite team had won this last round; he couldn't wait to see more from Michael and his human Bella. They dominated every tournament ever since someone managed to team up with the super powered archangel; apparently those things took a special kind of person to control them. Dean stretched and started up the stairs, "I'm off to bed, 'night!" He called to the house, knowing that his dad was out for the weekend with Bobby and Rufus and his mom and Sam were probably already in bed.

 

The lights in the Winchester household dimmed as every dozed off; Dean looking forward to the next day. Tomorrow was his birthday, granted his father seemed to forget but he knew that his mom wouldn't let him down; there would be cake.

 

Earlier that evening…

 

"You know you're crazy, right?" Rufus grumbled from the backseat of John's pickup, "Ain't none of them things left out here, why are we wastin' our time?"

 

"Because, Rufus, if you had been paying attention from the start you'd know that I caught sight of one lurking around here." Bobby snapped back a retort.

 

"And how do you know it wasn't someone else's?" Rufus sat forward in his seat, glaring at the baseball cap in front of him.

 

"It wasn't wearin' a collar," Bobby explained, "No angel's allowed to run around without a collar on if somebody owns 'em."

 

John pulled to a stop and stepped out, "This is the place, right?" He looked at the men in his truck who slowly climbed out, stretching their legs.

 

"Yep," Bobby nodded, "What're ya gonna use for bait? I'm not sure your makeshift stuff's gonna cut it."

 

"I have ways." John walked over to the side of his truck and pulled out several tools and set up an angel trap. He chanted something over a large net and positioned it appropriately, "Alright guys, pass me that paper bag."

 

Rufus looked at the bag John had showed up with and shrugged, handing it over to the Winchester. "What's in there?"

 

John opened I up and unwrapped a round object surrounded by tinfoil, "Cheeseburgers."

 

Bobby and Rufus seemed pleased, "Well hell, pass me one I'm starved." Rufus reached out but John pulled it away.

 

"It's the bait." John reasoned, unwrapping all the burgers and placing them in a nice pile in the middle of his little 'trap'.

 

"Are you an idjit?" Bobby could barely manage the words, he was too dumbfounded.

 

"Hey," John looked at them, "It's worth a shot."

 

"I hope you brought stuff for us too," Rufus complained looking around in the truck.

 

Several hours passed, the men sat together out of sight from the trap and joking about how ridiculous the whole thing was. John had just finished mocking himself when they heard a deafening, high-pitched whine coming from their site; and a sound that was reminiscent of a struggle.

 

The three men looked at one another for a moment before leaping up and running over to see what they'd caught with a pile of cheeseburgers, majority of them expecting to see some kind of animal tangled in the enchanted net.

 

They were wrong.

 

Bright wings flapped desperately in the links of the net, hands pushed and legs kicked out but helped him nothing. The angel whined again, continuing his futile struggle against the angelic binding until he tired of appearing silly to the humans watching him.

 

"I can't believe it." Bobby breathed.

 

"You caught an angel with cheeseburgers." Rufus laughed, "Damn Winchester, they should write a book about you."

 

John marched over to the bundle of feathers and peered down, he knew that angels were powerful and very dangerous when they were free so he didn't dare remove the net. Instead he started to haul it to his truck. "Help me get him in the cage," John shouted at the other two, "It's solid, it'll hold him for sure."

 

"Where'd you even get one of those anyway?" Rufus groaned as he pulled the surprisingly heavy dead-weight angel.

 

"We made it," Bobby smirked, "Just had 'ta figure out what they did to make 'em so special, wasn't so hard."

 

"So it might not work?" Rufus looked at them.

 

"It'll work." John said solemnly.

 

"Uh huh. But jes' in case it don't I'm ridin' shotgun."

 

"Just shut up and pull." Bobby grumbled.


	2. Chapter 2

A loud knocking started Dean from a peaceful sleep, his mom peeking the door open slightly, "Wake up honey," She smiled brightly at him, "Happy birthday."

Dean yawned and smiled, "Morning mom," he stretched, "Can't I sleep in on my birthday?"

"Well normally yes, but your father's present can't wait." Mary giggled and trotted down the stairs before Dean could ask any further questions.

Dean pulled himself out of bed and pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants, no need to greet his father in his birthday suit despite what day it was. He strolled down to the front door and walked outside, the sun warming his bare chest instantly. He sighed softly and looked over to where John was standing beside his truck, Bobby and Rufus grinning beside him.

"Hey dad," Dean walked over, "What's up?"

"First, happy 18th birthday son." John pat Dean's shoulders, "You're an adult now, feel any different?"

Dean looked down at himself and shrugged, "Not really."

"Well you're about to," John climbed onto the back of the truck and lifted the covering off the cage.

Dean's eyes slowly widened as it registered what exactly it was that he was seeing. Shimmering wings caught by the sun's rays, slender limbs and body squirming beneath a heavy chain net, and a soft looking mess of black hair; his dad had brought him an angel for his birthday.

"Oh my god…" Dean could barely breathe as he stepped closer, "You… you bought this?"

"You blind, boy? I caught him." John grinned, "Like a real man."

Dean laughed a little, glad to hear his dad quoting him, remembering that Dean hated the easy way of buying one. "Can I see him?"

"It'll be easier to show you once we've got him bound to you," John unlocked the cage, watching the struggle back of the creature closely.

"You have the spell?" Dean asked excitedly, "It can really be mine?"

"Of course," Bobby smiled, opening an older looking book, "Why else would we go out and get one? Just to let go again? It ain't like fishin' boy."

Dean didn't care that the old men kept calling him boy or grinning like they ruled the world, he had a friggin' angel now. "Bind it, bind it." Dean hopped onto the truck, peering closer at the bundle of wing and flesh. Angels had no need for clothing, apparently. Dean had never seen a wild one so close, he hadn't known that they come naked. 'If it would just roll over I could see it's face…' He thought anxiously.

Bobby tossed the book to John who promptly began to read the incantation. Dean felt a light tug in his chest as he felt his body heating up. 'This is normal.' He reassured himself, not entirely sure if his father was going about this the right way. He looked down at his skin and saw a faint glow, watching as light intensified, not able to do anything about it. Dean looked up at the angel and saw the same glow in its skin, though it was taking the binding much harder than Dean was.

A loud and piercing shriek not only forced the by standers to cover their ears but cracked the glass on John's pickup. The older Winchester pushed through and finished the spell, determined to not let this wild thing get the better of him.

A chain of light connected Dean to the angel and quietly vanished from sight, though some how he knew it was still there. Dean exhaled lightly, his muscles relaxing. "So it's done?"

"We'll see." John removed the net from the angel's back, Bobby and Rufus stepping back rapidly to avoid the possible backlash; this thing hadn't been entirely gentle and calm on the ride back.

Wings spread out and drifted behind the creature, the feathers ruffling and every muscle stretching. The angel lifted its head, icy blue eyes fixating on Dean; and the oldest son froze. He could see every emotion in those eyes, nothing was hidden because this angel couldn't hide from him; this was his angel. Dean's gaze trailed down from the eyes to the full cheeks and along the stubbled jawline. He smiled; the face of his angel was soft and cute but the look in those eyes… They stared right into him and through him.

"What's your name?" Dean asked softly, stepping closer to the hunched over body before him.

Those full lips parted slightly, a strange glint flickered in those beautiful blue orbs. For a moment Dean wondered if this one could speak but his thought was cut short, "Castiel." Its voice was a low, scratchy tone that sent shivers down Dean's spine.

"I'm Dean," he offered a hand to his angel, Castiel staring back at him, unmoving. "Come on," He smiled, "You can trust me."

Castiel frowned, a crease formed in his brow as his eyes narrowed. His arm hesitated but lifted and he took Dean's hand in his own, allowing the human to pull him up. Dean's mind was almost blank of instructions or limitations; meaning Castiel had no restrictions on him yet.

Dean's smile widened as he watched his angel slowly rise from the floor of the truck, however as soon as Castiel was half way up he burst forward, tackling Dean off the side of the pickup and onto the graveled driveway. Dean coughed as his air was knocked clean out of him; his eyes refocusing on the figure perched on top of him. His mind was already crying out for the angel to stop, so he had.

Castiel's legs trembled, one on either side of the Winchester boy. His arms were straight, his hands gripping Dean's shoulders tightly, uncomfortably close to his throat. But Castiel didn't move any further. "You…" He whispered.

Dean stared up, his eyes wide with shock. "Wh… What?" He managed to gasp out the words but his mind was almost empty of them.

"Why?" Castiel lifted his head, confusion and contempt the most prominent features in his eyes. "Why would you do this!"

The anguished shouts from his angel somehow alarmed Dean more than thought it would, his chest ached under the weight of Castiel's intense emotional outburst and he felt a sting behind his eyes. "I…" Dean found he had no answer.

"Dad…" Sam's voice rolled over them like an enraged dog; there was an edge to it that gave his anger away before he had to speak any further. "Why is there an angel here and why is he on top of Dean?"

"Dean's birthday present," John spoke cautiously as he watched the super-powered beast on top of his son, not sure if he should invest in some training items like a shock collar. "In speaking of…" He muttered aloud, hopping off the truck and peering inside. "Here, Dean." John took out a black collar and stepped around the heap of limbs to stare down at his son.

Castiel looked up at the man who had thrown the net over him in the first place, his wings flexing agitatedly. "Dean you have to order it or it'll do what it wants." John explained, not backing away from Castiel's murderous stare.

"Him, dad!" Sam shouted, running over to them, "This is obviously a 'him.'"

"It." John argued, "It's not human therefore it's an it."

"A male dog is called 'him'." Sam growled back, "You could at least do that much to respect this angel."

John scowled but nodded, "Fine, 'he' needs to be ordered, Dean."

"Cass, could you get off?" Dean stammered, not used to giving orders to things and thusly not realizing it sounded more like a request. Luckily for him his mind clarified, Castiel lifted his leg over Dean's torso and knelt next to him, his hands letting go of the shoulder blades clutched in his fingers.

"Close enough, now put this on him." John tossed to collar down.

Dean picked it up and looked at the pained stare of his angel, that icy blue not wavering. "Lean forward, Cass." Dean lifted the collar up as Castiel extended his neck, elegant and dangerous. Swallowing once, Dean hadn't realized how scary these things were up close, fresh out of their element. He fastened the accessory on, clasping it shut with a sudden snap. A strange sigil was carved into the clasp, something specially made for angels he guessed. "There you go, looking sharp. Just gotta get you some clothes…" Dean's gaze lowered to Castiel's bare waistline, a sensuous crease leading suggestively between his legs.

Castiel didn't move to hide himself, he felt no shame in being unclothed but he didn't intend to run about naked for these sick-minded humans either. He lifted his hands and scratched at the collar but couldn't move it or make a mark. A heavy sigh escaped him and he slumped down, defeated.

Sam knelt next to him with a blanket from the house, "I'm so sorry," he whispered, draping it over Castiel's shoulders.

The angel peered up at him and gave a slow nod; he had nothing more to say. His hands came up and pulled the cover around himself, shielding what little he had left to hide. His wings shuddered beneath the sheet; he gave them a short flap and closed his eyes as they folded back into him.

"I think I'm gonna have to do more research about this…" Dean muttered, rubbing the back of his head. The thought of having an angel was one thing; one sitting right in front of you was an entirely different story.

Castiel glared up at him, slowly lifting himself to his feet again. "You may own me," he growled through his teeth, "But I will never listen to you; not without being forced to."

Dean furrowed his brow, "You will." He assured confidently, "Not many people can resist me," he smiled his patented 'charming' smile though to Sam it often just looked dorky.

Castiel didn't seem impressed either. "Lucky me, none of you believe I'm a person; so I should be safe from such a disease." He gripped the blanket closer to him; his fidgeting caught Dean's attention.

"You'll come around." He stepped closer and reached down gingerly, "Are you cold?"

"Don't touch me," Castiel snapped, shuffling backward, his bare feet scratching against the gravel driveway. "Don't ever touch me!"

"You're my angel, I give the orders. And I'll touch you whenever I want to." Dean wasn't about to be controlled by his birthday present, especially in front of the men who'd caught it. Dean grabbed the blanket and forced Castiel forward, stumbling and falling into his human.

The icy stare diminished slightly as its owner realized how little he could do against his master's orders. However this only lasted a brief second, a low growl rumbled deep in Castiel's throat. "You're monsters."

Dean had never been face to face with a real angel before, standing here now and listening to Castiel's point of view seemed odd. None of the angels on TV ever snapped back at their owners, at least none that he'd seen. 'I definitely need help training him, I have no idea what I'm doing.'

"At least he's not weak spirited," John laughed, packing up the gear. "Dean shouldn't get bored too easily."

"Hey come on, I'm not that bad," Dean called back, wrapping his arms around Castiel and leading the slender frame toward the house. "Let's go, Cass. Not sure if angels can catch colds but I'd rather not be the first to find out."

Castiel sneered at Dean but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull away. Dean wanted him by his side.

* * *

 

Dean slowly closed the door to his room, watching Castiel through the crack as he closed it off. Castiel had barely spoken to him, wrapped in the thin blanket given to him earlier. Dean hadn't considered giving Castiel his own clothing, quite frankly he wanted to see more of that naked body; it was his after all.

"You can't do this, Dean." Sam was standing down the hall, glowering at his brother from beneath his shaggy brown hair. "You should let him go, this isn't right."

"He's an animal, Sam." Dean walked past, heading downstairs to the computer room. "He's better off with me anyway, what if someone else caught him?"

"What, you mean like those poachers?" Sam snarled, "Dean, you know what they do to angels, right?"

"Exactly why it's better for him to be with me." Dean dropped in front of the computer, switching the power on. Sam leaned against the doorframe and shook his head.

"It'd be better if they were free. You know what angels are supposed to be, don't you?" Sam tried to get Dean on his side though he knew it'd take more to change his brother's mind about these kinds of things; Dean's opinion was John's opinion majority of the time.

"Come on, Sam." Dean drawled, rolling his eyes in Sam's direction, "Just leave it be, 'kay? I'm going to take Cass and we're gonna be the best team in the Angelic Fighting field; I'll even beat Michael and Bella."

"This is bigger than your stupid dream!" Sam snapped, frustrated. "God, am I the only sane one in this house? What do you have him doing, anyway?"

"Just sitting there, I told him to stay put." Dean leaned in close to the screen, reading up on training your angel. "Hey, did you know that there's a boot camp for new training pairs? Just outside of town too… Looks cheap enough."

"You just left him there? Dean he's probably scared out of his mind, he'll never get to go home again."

"He didn't look that scared, pissed is more like it." Dean glanced back at Sam, "I mean he looked like he was ready to tear my throat out before; not that I'm scared though." He smiled and hit the print screen icon, an application form slowly being spit out of the out-of-date printer. "I'm gonna tame that bitch if he likes it or not."

Sam shook his head and walked out of the room, he had to find a way to get the world to let go of the angels; or at least find a way to save the ones stuck with terrible people. But how the hell was he going to do that? The answers eluded him entirely.


	3. Chapter 3

_The world had abducted his brothers and sisters, one by one they vanished from Heaven. Castiel had been one of the many trusting angels, touching down on the Earth with a hopeful smile and warm embrace. His disgust and betrayed emotions couldn't have come on more sudden than they had. He told his brothers and sisters that they would be safe, that not only would mankind be happy to see them but treat them well, give them a home._

_He was wrong._

_Castiel was in the back of pack during the first contact; he strained to peer over the taller angels in front of him, his wings twitching with excitement. He could hardly hear what the two representatives were talking about but he was so certain that everything was going to be better; how could it be worse? Their father had abandoned them a long time ago, Heaven was a ghost of its former self and all the angels could think to do was go down and seek out mankind, their father's favourite creation._

_Suddenly the crowd rustled backward, knocking several of the unsuspecting down and sent many stumbling. Wings flapped harshly, some of the angels fled immediately but they were packed so close together that many of them could hardly lift off. A hand gripped Castiel's arm amidst the confusion and he snapped his head to look; Balthazar had made his way back from the front line, a frightened look in his eye._

" _Run Castiel!" He shouted, "GO!"_

_Castiel stumbled backward, more confused and fearful than he wanted to ever admit; but he ran. His legs moved faster than his wings in this situation, carrying him further than those that tried to fly. He ran for several minutes before taking off, his wings finally shuddering to life again._

_The next days were darker than he'd ever experienced before; angels were falling victim to spells and human inventions. He hadn't seen Balthazar since that moment; nor other friends for that matter. He hid away with several others, they were stuck on Earth now; Heaven was too weak to sustain any of them anymore though it still held the source of their powers._

_The brothers and sisters he hid with were slowly diminishing; one by one they vanished. Rumours and hearsay reached them out there; the humans had made a sport of 'training' their new pets. Castiel shuddered abrasively, the understanding of those terms not lost on him. Man had enslaved Angels and there was no way to go home._

_Castiel curled up on himself, his wings folding over his shivering body. He wanted his father, his brothers and sisters; he wanted everything to go back to normal again. That couldn't happen now, but it didn't stop that small hope from flickering in his chest._

_In the span of five years nearly all of his siblings had been caught, if not by regular humans then by that hideous organization. There were people who took great joy in torturing angels, making them miserable and destroying them mentally. Castiel feared them most though the years went on and he started to see every human in that light. They pit angels against one another; brother against brother, forcing them to kill as if they were common animals._

_His hope had vanished, his bright outlook had been swallowed up; now he flew around the earth secretly, praying every day he wasn't discovered and hunted. He'd done a good job in the last ten years; though it helped that he didn't approach any human civilizations too._

_Castiel drifted into one of his favourite clearings, feeling particularly dismal that night. He hadn't seen one of his siblings in months, the last one disappearing when he travelled too close to town. Castiel sighed heavily and wiped his eyes, looking up at his clearing to see the strangest thing; there was a stack of cheeseburgers in the center._

_He tilted his head to the side curiously, glancing around. There was a pile of human food just sitting there. He couldn't explain why but he wanted it, out of all the things he could be doing to feel better he wanted to eat that mound of cheeseburger._

_Castiel inched closer, unable to decide. However it didn't matter after several steps because the sudden net curling around him, trapping him. His heart raced and he instantly let out a distressed cry in his full voice; the ground around him mixing with the sky above and the treeline all forming into one blob of nausea and fear. His wings stretched and flapped frantically, tangling him further in the enchanted chains._

_His chest lifted and fell rapidly as he heard the sounds of men approaching, the ground crunching beneath their feet. His arms and legs thrashed desperately but futilely, a long whine escaping him as fear gripped him more intensely._ 'Father help me' _His mind shrieked over and over, his heart pounding hard against his chest and in his ears, his breathing not slowing._ 'Please father, please!' _Still nothing._

_He lashed out at the men as they hefted the net onto their vehicle, he had been too terrified and frantic to really register that they'd even started to drag him. Regardless of what he did now it was too late, he was caught._

_Castiel curled up to the best of his ability, his head down and knees up, tears streaking his cheeks._

He stared, now, from the corner of a young man's room as he slept. Castiel was being punished for lashing out again, he wasn't allowed the warmth of the blanket and still given no clothing. It was the second day of his capture and so far he hated it. He was referred to as a thing, a stray dog dragged into a home it never wanted to be a part of.

Dean was his owner's name, Dean Winchester. Castiel was uncertain about him; he couldn't discern the nature of Dean's personality. He wasn't as kind as the younger one but it was already apparent that Sam had little power in this household; Castiel couldn't depend on him for anything.

He exhaled lightly and lifted himself from the corner he'd stowed away in, his bare skin brushing against the rough material of the wall agitatingly. He stepped quietly and snuck out of the room, closing the door with a silent click. Dean had given him no instructions before bed other than the fact he wasn't allowed to cover up. Being a young man at the peak of his sexual frustrations, Dean was clearly interested in looking at Castiel's naked body. He didn't care so much; he didn't feel like it was anything he should be hiding, though Castiel was never terribly in tune with human nature or their tendencies. He didn't understand the sexual gaze lingering on him; he only knew that he wasn't sure he liked it. It tingled beneath his skin and he didn't know if it was a good thing or bad.

Castiel's fingers traced the collar pressed against his skin as he stepped down the stairs; it prevented him from going too far from his master unless given that specific instruction. He couldn't run away if he tried.

"I'm really sorry," Sam's voice was quiet but the sudden sound made Castiel jump slightly, glancing over his shoulder at the younger male. "That Dean treats you like this, that any of this happened in the first place." Sam walked closer though respecting Castiel's personal space.

"What does he want?" the angel whispered cautiously, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"Honestly, the stupidest thing." Sam shook his head, "He wanted to be the best in the Angel Battling field, or I think that's it anyway."

Castiel tilted his head slightly; "He wants to send me into battles? Against my brothers?" Lucky him, he got one of the sadistic humans.

"Dean doesn't see it that way, it's like a sport." Sam tried to explain though he didn't really put an effort into defending his brother, "Like wrestling, or lacrosse. Just a very violent sport."

"Well it's more than that to us," Castiel turned away and looked down the stairs again, "We're killing each other out there for your entertainment, I won't do what he wants."

"I know," Sam nodded, "But Dean's still taking you to a training camp, it starts next week."

Castiel lowered his head; obviously this Dean had nothing but selfish intentions. Why couldn't the world have been full of humans like Sam? The pleasant, understanding creatures he used to think they were?

The bedroom door opened and Dean stalked out, his original expression one of worry before he spotted Castiel's naked form at the end of the hall; "Cass what are you doing out here?" Dean took a hold of the angel's shoulder who promptly pulled away.

His eyes said what he needed to, the same words he'd shouted last time; don't touch me. "What do you want?"

"I asked why you're out here," Dean's tone shifted to more of a demand, seeing that plainly asking wouldn't do it.

"I wanted to look around," Castiel answered forcefully, feeling the sense that Dean wanted him back in the room. He lowered his head and trudged back, climbing into the bed as per Dean's mental cue.

"Dean," Sam argued tiredly.

"Don't, Sam." Dean walked back to his room, feeling a little bad for treating his angel this way. Why couldn't he just listen for once? On that note, he was surprised to see Castiel curled in the sheets on his bed, icy gaze staring out at him. Dean smiled and crawled in next to him, trapping him against the wall. "Listening for a change?"

"You're wishes, when made, are more than persuasive." Castiel growled at him.

"Good enough for now, I guess." Dean's eyes trailed down to see the blanket covering Castiel's unclothed form. "Take that off," he licked his lips watching as the angel hesitantly slid the blanket away, his pale flesh contrasting against the dark sheets. Dean's hand came up and caressed Castiel's side, unable to protest against Dean's stronger intentions.

Castiel shuddered as his master's hand brushed over his hip and cupped his ass, getting a feel for his body. He wanted to protest but Dean interested in this wholly, his mind focused on Castiel allowing it to happen. As per Dean's whim, Castiel stretched out face down in the pillow, his knees holding his rear upright. Dean paused to appreciate the offering made, gazing at the sights that Castiel had to give him.

Dean moved behind his angel, staring down at Castiel's entrance eagerly. There had been so many things that he wanted to try in the past but hadn't had the nerve to ask any males out. Now he had a male angel, the closest he could get and it was prettier than any other guys he knew. Dean licked his fingers and traced the tight hole gently, getting a stifled groan from mound of pillows. He smiled and slid his hand down to the prize between Castiel's trembling thighs, remembering that this very thing was pressed against him earlier when Castiel had tackled him. That warm feeling, soft and exposed flesh pressed down between them; so close.

Now he could touch it; but something in him had to stop. Something wasn't quite right. Dean moved beside Castiel again, peering down at his angel's face pushed hard into the pillows. He pulled Castiel's shoulders back, his body flopping over with the sudden movement.

The moment Dean saw Castiel's face he no longer had any desire to stare at him naked; the tears streaming down those beautifully puffy cheeks alone was enough to make him stop. But the look in Castiel's eyes, that horribly frightened look like Dean was a monster. "Cass…" he whispered, a realization dawning on him that Castiel's expression was there for a reason; Dean was about to rape him. "Hey, it's okay." Dean quivered with the new light shone on him, seeing himself differently. "I won't, I promise I won't unless you want to."

Castiel shivered, his legs curling up as more confusion rolled over him. His bottom lip shook along with his jaw, unable to look away from Dean.

"I'm so sorry, Cass." Dean sat back, appearing disgusted with himself, "I hadn't thought about… You must be so scared." Dean pulled Castiel up into a hug, his entire outlook seemed different but he was too stunned with himself to really notice it yet. "If you don't like it, tell me." He whispered into the soft, black hair of his angel.

Castiel relaxed against the embrace, closing his eyes and allowing his breathing to slow down again. Maybe he could talk to this human, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. It could be worse; he could be stuck with one of those malicious humans. "I won't be so easy to train," he warns quietly but playfully, his usual anger distant from his voice.

Dean smiled, "I won't be either," he laughed lightly and leaned back again, "You can wear my clothes for now, until we get you your own."

Castiel looked over at the dresser where he'd seen Dean remove clothing from, "Not for bed," He slipped under the covers, pressing his heated backside against the cooled wall, "I'd prefer to sleep this way."

Dean was surprised to find himself blushing; he was just willing to pressing his dick into the most private parts of Castiel and now he was blushing at the thought of laying naked next to him. "You're awesome."

Castiel glanced up and let the corners of his mouth turn up, he didn't have to sleep but it was possible. And quite frankly, after all of the fear and adrenaline, he felt he needed it.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Dean opened his eyes wearily, the sunlight streaming in his window and illuminating his room and all within its path. The thing that caught his eye, however, was the image of Castiel slipping into a pair of his favourite jeans. That firm ass beautifully planted in those jeans, Dean found that he much preferred those pants on his angel rather than himself, despite how comfy they were.

"You look good," he tried to sound convincing though it came across more as an awkward conversation starter.

Castiel startled a little, glancing back at the bed. At first he felt a bit silly, trying on Dean's clothes without permission and all that. Then he understood what that sensation meant; he was already slipping into the mindset that Dean was his master. His face scrunched slightly at the thought and he shook it out of his mind, "Thank you." He said simply, buttoning the jeans and zipping them up.

Dean stretched, watching Castiel rummage for a shirt to wear. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the angel pull out his favourite shirt; he'd bought it at a Led Zeppelin concert. Then it dawned on him; there was some kind of connection between the two of them, and not just the obvious binding spell. His favourite food had caught this angel; now Castiel was wearing his preferred clothing. Dean smiled a little at the thought, surprised but glad his father had found a being so similar and different enough to attract him.

"Dean," Castiel spoke his name for the first time and Dean couldn't help but take a moment to enjoy that raspy baritone speaking it. "Dean," Castiel urged again, demanding attention.

Dean looked up at him, "Yeah?"

"I want to go downstairs now," Castiel was careful not to ask but to state that this was his wish; he stubbornly refused to agree with this 'humans own angels' business.

"Go ahead," Dean yawned and tossed his legs over the edge of the bed, "I'll be right down."

Castiel wasn't sure why he should care that Dean would be joining him but nodded his understanding regardless. He took his leave and strolled down the hall, trotting down the stairs he nearly ran into Mary who looked utterly startled to see him without Dean around. "Oh," She stuttered awkwardly, "Where's Dean?"

"Upstairs, he will be coming down shortly." Castiel answered stoically, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He slowly maneuvered around her, keeping an eye on her just in case. He didn't trust anyone in this house, aside from Sam who seemed different. He cared.

And then there was Dean…

Castiel looked around as he entered the more open parts of the house, the living room looked warm and inviting, the colours and decorations adding to the ambiance. He stepped over the threshold, his bare feet coming in contact with the softest rug he'd ever touched. The sudden change in material, from hardwood to plush, made him step back and look down at the floor under him. He could have laughed at his paranoia in this human household, everything made him anxious and jumpy.

"Morning," Sam's young voice was refreshing in his nervous state; Castiel turned a small smile on the younger male.

"Hello," He offered politely, giving a slight bow of his head.

Sam looked Castiel up and down, checking for any signs of foul play. "You're okay?"

"Yes, oddly." Castiel looked away, remembering the image of Dean leaning over him just before their embrace last night, that hug that was almost comforting. "It was… ok."

"Well I'm glad to hear that, at least." Sam walked over and hopped onto the couch, crossing his legs comfortably. "Sit with me?" he volunteered a smile, patting the cushion next to him.

Castiel eyed it suspiciously but found he had no reason to distrust Sam; he sat on the far cushion regardless of Sam's kindness and amicability. "What do you do to pass time?" He spoke softly, his fingers tracing the designs etched in the fabric, his eyes following so he wouldn't have to make eye contact.

"Read, write, play games, watch TV or movies, that kinda stuff." Sam looked at the 40" screen, "You wanna watch something?"

Castiel shrugged, glancing up at the screen. He'd never seen 'TV' or 'movies' before; in fact he had very little experience in many different human activities. He hadn't stuck around to learn them, and while in heaven he'd never had an interest of watching it. "Maybe later," he answered tentatively, listening to the sound of someone tromping down the stairs. Dean's voice was distant but getting closer, he was talking to his mother about something or other that Castiel didn't quite catch.

"There you are," Dean walked into the living room, a grin plastered on his face, "Hey listen, once mom's done breakfast and we eat and stuff, how 'bout you and me go out and buy you some clothes?" He was, of course, referring to Castiel who only tilted his head at the proposal.

"Why? I am in yours, we don't need to get any more."

"Two dudes can't share a wardrobe," Dean leaned on the back of the couch, peering down at Castiel's confused expression, "Besides, you barely fit into mine as it is. I'm physically bigger than you are."

"I'm alright in baggy clothing." Castiel argued.

"Well I'm not alright with you in baggy clothes," Dean argued back and started toward the kitchen/dining room as if his word was final.

Castiel scowled, "I didn't like that." He stated firmly, raising his voice enough to catch Dean's attention.

"So?" Dean furrowed his brow, looking back at his angel and catching the vibrant look in his eyes.

"So you said to tell you if I didn't like something." Castiel answered matter-of-factly, "And I didn't like that."

"Yeah," Dean had to admit that much, he had said that last night. "You're still going to get your own clothes, I'm not sharing mine."

Castiel conceded, giving a short nod. He hadn't wanted to share Dean's clothes forever either but they were comfy, it bothered him how much he liked them.

Sam rolled his eyes, unable to vocalize his frustrations any further. He'd said all he had to say about enslaving angels at this point, repeating himself wouldn't make much of a difference to Dean. All Sam could hope for was that Dean would grow attached to Castiel as another intelligent being and treat him well. As far as he knew there were very few ways to unbind an angel from a human, aside from the human specifying that their angel was free. It was rare; in fact it never happened that the angel was truly free. People only transferred the ownership to others, never letting them go.

Breakfast came and went, Castiel didn't touch the food placed in front of him and instead shoved it in Dean's direction. He didn't trust food, the last time he'd wanted anything it was a goddamn cheeseburger and look where that got him.

Human and angel walked down the street side by side, Dean considering how much he was willing to spend on clothes for Castiel. He decided he didn't want a cheap looking angel while glancing up and down Castiel's slender frame; which was hidden fairly well beneath the baggy t-shirt.

Dean took that moment to truly inspect Castiel, the subtle cleft of his chin, larger ears the poked out from his hair which was a messier version of his own style. Dean realized that he really found Castiel attractive, not just because Castiel was his angel either. He could tell that if he'd seen Castiel just walking down the street like this he'd be incapable of looking away. The sway of Castiel's body as he moved was breathtaking, his shoulders squared, back straight, and yet his hips still seemed to swing a little with every step, his ass shifting side to side. Dean caught himself watching the crease of his jeans as Castiel strode forward, the fabric bunching up in all the right places and outlining his thighs in a way that made Dean feel a little crazy.

"What?" Castiel's voice broke his concentration entirely, forcing him to quickly lift his gaze to the angel's disapproving expression.

"Nothing, just trying to gauge what size you are." There was no way to hide what he was doing but he figured he'd try anyway.

Castiel seemed to buy it, his gaze softening, "Can you tell?" He asked sincerely, looking down at himself.

"A bit smaller than me, so probably one size down. I'll figure it out, don't worry about it." Dean smiled reassuringly; relieved to see how trusting Castiel was despite everything. It made him wonder though, if this was Castiel's version of distrusting then what was he like before? The image of a bright eyed and loving Castiel was a hard one to shake from his mind, Dean found he liked the thought of his angel openly believing in others without so much as a tiny doubt.  _'At least, I want him to believe in me that way.'_  He thought distantly, knowing that was going to be a hard earned privilege.

Castiel seemed satisfied with that answer and went back to scanning the cityscape. He hadn't spent any time in cities during his time on Earth; they were an anomaly to him. One thing he knew for sure though, cities frightened him. They were places where thousands upon thousands of humans gathered and lived; cities were a terrifying place for an angel.

He caught himself walking closer to Dean in that moment, unconsciously attempting to receive comfort from a human he was permanently stuck to after being hit by a wave of fear. Castiel reacted by putting as much distance between Dean and himself as possible without Dean noticing too easily, walking on the other side of the sidewalk seemed to be enough.

Castiel's discomfort wasn't invisible, far from it. Dean could read his winged partner's concerns on his face as if it were an open book; Castiel was terrible at hiding something that meant so much to him. "It'll be fine, you know." Dean slowly closed the gap between them, reaching over and taking his angel's hand.

Castiel stared up at him suddenly as if shocked his feelings had been discovered. "What do you mean?" He asked, his hand unconsciously gripping Dean's for that little bit of support.

"You don't have to be scared of people anymore, you're with me. They can't touch you now." Dean knew it wasn't a solid argument but it appeared to be enough to calm Castiel's nerves a little.

Castiel nodded and looked away, embarrassed Dean had seen him fearful again in such a short amount of time. "I guess you're right." He took a deep breath and blew it out, setting a determined gaze on the giant building Dean had called a mall. "I'm ready."

"Awesome," Dean squeezed Castiel's hand happily, smiling at the look of sudden awareness on his angel's face, Castiel only now realizing they were holding hands. His arm stiffened and twitched, his mind racing through the options and consequences of letting go or not. He decided that his first trip to a human infested area should be done with some comfort, as much as he loathed the idea of the source.

But did he really? Dean wasn't as terrible as he'd imagined every human to be, granted he was a bigoted asshole but at the center a nice guy.

Castiel relaxed his arm and approached the mall with some confidence; he wasn't alone in any respect. He was not, by far, the only angel in the care of a human; he wasn't alone in a crowded, unfamiliar building, and he wasn't alone in a forest waiting for someone, anyone, to show up. If he didn't look on the bright side soon he'd find himself losing his mind quite rapidly.

The first experience of 'trying on clothes' didn't go so well. Castiel hadn't understood the concept of 'change room', nor had he put underwear on that morning. He'd already stepped out of the jeans by the time Dean could grasp what had just happened. The two were kicked out of the first store within five minutes.

While Dean couldn't stop laughing Castiel's cheeks burned red, embarrassed with himself for the entire situation. "It isn't funny, Dean!" he complained, his brow furrowed and lips in a pout.

"Oh yeah it is," Dean wiped a tear from his eye, "You just made my day."

"Well that's all well and good for you but I'd appreciate a better explanation of what we're doing next time, if you don't mind." Castiel spat at Dean in his distressed flurry, "What did I do wrong?"

"You undressed in the middle of the store with no underwear on," Dean stated the obvious with a subtle snicker in his voice, trying his hardest to keep a straight face but failing.

"Well then where am I supposed to do it?" Castiel grumbled.

"Change rooms," Dean explained again, "There are separate rooms where you get changed and stuff. I'll show you in the next store, promise." He smiled, lifting his hand in the 'scout's honor' pose. He was relieved they had only been booted from that one store and not the whole mall, they would've had to hop on a bus and trek across town to get to the other one if the latter had occurred.

Castiel scowled again, his lips still pursed in a pout, which took away a lot of the edge in his gaze. "Fine." He said curtly and brushed his cheek in hopes it would work to wipe the blush off; obviously it didn't.

At the end of the day Castiel had at least three interchangeable outfits that complimented his body type and the two were walking down the street back home. Dean looked up at a burger stand and grinned, "Let's get some burgers."

Castiel narrowed his eyes at the thought and shook his head, "No thank you."

"You can't hate cheeseburgers forever, come on." Dean took Castiel's hand again and led the angel forcefully to the stand, Castiel dragging his feet the entire way. "Two bacon cheeseburgers place." Dean ordered and paid happily, his mouth watering with just the thought of that greasy meat mound touching his tongue.

Castiel sighed and pretended not to care, but he couldn't ignore the delicious smell that lingered in the air. He never really got to eat any of those burgers, now that he thought about it.

When Dean handed him the tinfoil wrapped item Castiel tossed his pride aside for a moment and eagerly tore the protective cover. He took that first bite and almost melted, a satisfied moan escaping him.

Dean smirked as he unwrapped his, "Yeah I know, they're pretty good."

Castiel felt that familiar heat in his cheeks at the thought of Dean watching him pig out like this. But, just like earlier, he realized the meaning behind that feeling and discarded it promptly. Being so self-conscious and blushing from embarrassment when imagining Dean seeing him in a less-than proper state suggested that he cared what Dean thought of him. He did not; or he refused to admit it at any rate. Castiel continued to chow down, carrying on with his 'I don't care what you think' attitude.

Dean was impressed; he'd never seen someone enjoy something so thoroughly. People were so jaded to things that they rarely reacted the way they truly felt. Castiel had unwittingly opened himself wide for Dean to see; see all of his desire, his needs, and his pleasures. Sure, it was just a cheeseburger, but the implications were still there. Castiel was capable of opening up, it was just going to take a bit of time.

"You're adorable." Dean smiled, stating the first description of Castiel that came to mind.

"And you're an asshole." Castiel countered, glaring out from his burger enjoyment, "But thank you."

Dean stared at him in surprise, not expecting such an honest retort. He started to snicker which turned into a full-blown laugh, "You're welcome." He managed to giggle out.

Castiel raised an eyebrow and smiled a little, laughter was a contagious thing.


	5. Chapter 5

The following days were definitely odd for everyone involved. Castiel was living in their house, which wasn't something that had been truly planned; John and Mary never really expected him to actually catch an angel. But here they were, an angel tucked away in their oldest son's bedroom. John wasn't sure he liked how Dean looked at the thing he'd brought home but then again the angel was Dean's to do with as he pleased. Sexual frustration happened to be one of those things, though John would prefer Dean go out like a normal boy and find a girlfriend.

Mary told him it wasn't up to either of them and John nodded solemnly, Dean tried to copy John's action and he had to believe that'd be enough to keep Dean away from gay behavior. Of course, after seeing how long Castiel was left unclothed, he was starting to lose hope in that department. He'd have to depend on Sam for grandkids, which at the moment wasn't a great prospect.

The weekend ended and Dean realized that despite the fact that he had Castiel with him now, he still had to finish high school. There were a few more weeks of classes to trek through, then of course the exams. Dean had signed up for a training camp for owner and angel, a thing that happened every weekend for x number of weeks; it all depended on how much money Dean was willing to spend. This camp would teach him how to keep a hold of Castiel, how to order him and keep him in his place; it would teach Castiel how to work with his human and over all it would show both of them how to do things together. A sort of 'basics training', something they both needed seeing as how Castiel was fresh from the wild.

Dean was excited for this whole thing, sure, but he really wanted to get to the technical things, the specialty training and teaching sessions. He wanted them to show him how to move with Castiel, how to fight with him. It was the reason he'd wanted an angel, after all, he may as well know how to do it.

Monday morning rolled around and Dean's alarm clock screeched and shattered the peaceful ambiance. Castiel's eyes shot open and in an instant he was up, launched across the room and clutching the blaring device firmly.

"Cass wait!" Dean cried but it was too late, his alarm was smashed into pieces on the floor and promptly stomped by Castiel's firm foot. Dean cringed and dropped back into his bed, "That's important…"

Castiel looked at him oddly, tilting his head and glancing back down at the plastic bits on the floor as he slowly lifted his foot. "Oh…" he shrugged, "Oh well."

"Cass…" Dean groaned, "That thing's meant to wake me up on time for stuff."

"Well then you should have told me that yesterday; maybe mentioning that something was going to scream at me early in the morning is something you should consider the night before." Castiel spat proudly, getting back to his spot on the bed.

Dean lifted himself up, "No no, we're done sleeping now." He glanced down at Castiel who seemed more than happy to ignore him, burying his face back into the pillows. "Hey, I said get up."

Castiel growled but lifted his head to peer at Dean grumpily, "Why?"

"School, pretty boy. We're going to school." Dean stood and rummaged for clothing while Castiel yawned and stretched in the bed, the blanket loosely wrapped around his naked body. He liked to sleep in the nude; it was a comfort thing. "Get up!" Dean shot playfully, a grin on his lips. "Or I'll find your ticklish spot."

Castiel stuck his tongue out but obliged; not that he had much choice though, Dean commanded it and he had to comply. "What do we need to do at school?" He mumbled as he picked an ensemble from his small collection.

"I'm still in high school, dude. I have to graduate so I have to go, it sucks and it's boring but it's a must." Dean headed for the door, a graphic tee hanging off his firmly built shoulders and a pair of jeans clinging to his hips.

Castiel's get up was one of his less intricate ones; a military styled jacket draped over a form-fitting button-up with a loose, contrasting tie hanging around his neck. Of course Dean wanted him in jeans but black and fitting closer to his ass than Dean's favourite pair had. "And I have to accompany you?" Castiel questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Dean looked at him and shrugged, "Well, yeah. I gotta show you off." He wasn't sure if angels were allowed in school but he didn't see why not.

Castiel only scoffed and headed for the door, "Whatever, do what you like."

"I will!" Dean called after him, watching Castiel's too-fine behind sway out into the hall. He didn't like Castiel's attitude about all of this but it couldn't be helped, his angel wasn't used to any of this yet. It would only be a matter of time now.

"You shoo me out of bed but take forever?" Castiel shouted back, "Come on, Dean."

"Yeah yeah, coming." Dean grumbled, trotting out the door.

Walking down the street toward their school, Sam eyed Dean suspiciously, "Why is Castiel coming?"

"I want him with me," Dean looked over at his younger brother and shrugged, "I don't see why I can't bring him with."

"What's he going to do while you're in class? It's not like he can just hop in and learn what you're doing in an instant,"

"The human mannerisms, no. However I probably know the material better than his teacher." Castiel piped in; not too keen on being spoken about as if he weren't around.

"Really?" Sam looked at him, honestly surprised to hear it after Castiel's obvious fail in the clothing store a few days earlier.

"Yes, really." Castiel answered curtly, pursing his lips together to display his offense, "Why are you so surprised about this?"

"Well uh…" Sam glanced at Dean for some help with this one but his older brother only shook his head.

"You got yourself into this mess, Sammy."

Sam's expression went flat before looking back at Castiel, "I didn't mean anything by it Cass, I was just interested."

Castiel looked at the Winchester brothers curiously, "Why do you keep calling me 'Cass'? First it was Dean and now Sam too, why do you do that?"

"It's a nickname," Dean looked at him with a smile, "A sign of closeness."

"Or disrespect," Sam added, clearly unimpressed with the 'Sammy' nickname.

Castiel furrowed his brow, those were two completely different things and he wasn't sure how he felt about either. Dean was indicating he used 'Cass' as a way to show closeness to him, he didn't have a real reason to doubt that but… He couldn't help it. Sam's explanation made sense too, Dean calling him 'Cass' so as not to use the full name given to him, or maybe to use it as a pet name.

"Try not to think about it too much," Dean pat his shoulder, "I call you Cass because it's shorter than Castiel, that's all."

Blue eyes shifted to glance suspiciously at him but he seemed to accept that as an answer. "Alright," he conceded, nodding his head slowly. "But Sammy is longer than Sam…"

"He calls me 'Sammy' to bug me," Sam explained, "It was his pet name for me when I was little."

"You still are little," Dean argued.

"Only because you're blind as a bat and can't see I'm getting taller than you," Sam smirked, "Told you I would."

"Shut up."

Castiel smiled a little; he'd missed the back and forth banter of brothers. Dean hadn't missed the little upturn of his mouth and leaned in close, touch his cheek to Castiel's, "You have a beautiful smile, you know that?"

Castiel's cheeks flushed and heated instantly, not anticipating Dean's sudden contact. He quickly reacted by shoving Dean away from him, "And you have morning breath."

Despite being forcefully removed, Dean wasn't feeling down about Castiel's attitude as much as he was; there was a smile and he felt the warmth in Castiel's cheeks just before the shove. Things were getting better, slowly but surely.

At the front doors Sam said goodbye and trotted inside, much to Castiel's dismay. "Where is he going?"

"He has his own classes," Dean put his arm around Castiel's shoulders and led him down a separate hallway from the one Sam chose, "Come on, my class' this way."

Castiel hesitated before walking into such a small room full of people but he did it regardless, Dean expecting him to be as unafraid as he was in the mall. All eyes turned toward him as he entered, he felt like they could already tell he wasn't human. Was it written on his face? He knew his wings weren't out, what were they staring at?

It was then that he realized Dean was holding his hand, firmly and confidently. Castiel looked up at him, feeling that familiar heat in his face rising again. Dean had held his hand before but not like this; this was possessive and for some reason, despite how ill it made him feel to think about it, Castiel liked it.

"Guess what guys?" Dean grinned, watching the expressions of his classmates eagerly. "I've got an angel."

His class seemed genuinely stunned; several people crowded forward wanting to see one of the most popular guy's newest accomplishments. Dean couldn't stop grinning until he felt Castiel press against him, suddenly feeling smaller and more fragile than seconds earlier. He looked to see Castiel scrunching down into himself, pushing fearfully against him. "Hey," Dean whispered, "It's okay Cass."

Castiel looked up warily, his eyes scanning Dean for dishonestly. He found none and relaxed a little, nodding. "Okay," he looked at the faces staring intently at him, "Hello, I'm-"

"What's its name?" One student broke in, ignoring Castiel's attempt at an introduction.

"Castiel." The angel growled, "I am Castiel and I am not a thing, don't refer to me as 'it'."

The class stepped back, none of them ever encountering an angel so obviously angry and willing to lash out. "Dude get a hold on your pet." One of the renowned assholes spoke up first, sneering in Dean's direction.

Dean furrowed his brow at that, Castiel had every right to tell them not to call him 'it', Castiel was a person and deserved some respect.

It was in that moment that Dean realized how much his mentality had already changed and it had only been a few days. Castiel was no longer 'that angel' or any kind of thing to him, he saw Castiel as his friend (who often slept naked beside him). "He's right, you know."

Castiel snapped his head back to stare at Dean now, not seeing that change in attitude coming at all. "You… mean that?" He asked cautiously, careful not to be too trusting.

"I do," Dean smiled, "Now let's take a seat."

"Your angel's joining us for class?" Someone asked skeptically.

"Yeah, he is." Dean dropped into his chair happily, ushering Castiel to sit in the one next to him. However his cheerful disposition ended when Mrs. Harvelle placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry hun, he'll have to either wait for you outside or in the office."

"Seriously!" Dean whined, "Fine, come on Cass."

Castiel walked out with him, glancing at the teacher thankfully. He hadn't wanted to stay in that room anyway. "What now?"

"We skip class." Dean smirked, "I'm not gonna drag you to school then make you sit outside, that's just mean."

"So… same question." Castiel felt a brief bounce in his step, almost as if he felt much safer around Dean. But that couldn't right, could it?

 

"I'm going to take you to a movie," He decided hastily, obviously not planning this far ahead.

Castiel recalled Sam mentioning something about those and nodded in agreement, "I look forward to it."

' _Now what the hell do I take him to for his first experience? Not something he'll try to attack so horror's out, gotta show him something that shows the good in people…'_  Dean thought long and hard about this as they walked up to the box office and sighed lightly,  _'Romantic comedy it is.'_

The thing about romantic comedies; they're all the same. They start off okay, bad stuff happens but in the end someone does something right and everybody's happy. It was a good neutral for Castiel's first time.

The entire experience was how you'd expect, Castiel was very involved with the story on the massive screen in front of him, he couldn't help but get sucked in. His mind raced along with the story, trying to anticipate it and trying to help out the characters so they'd be happy again. The turning point of the story where the guy messed up and hurt the girl's feelings was when Castiel yelled at the screen, thoroughly frustrated.

"Shhh," Dean pet the back of Castiel's head softly, "It's just a movie, calm down."

Castiel frowned at him and sat back in his seat, "It'll be alright, right? He'll fix it?"

Dean smiled, enjoying the earnest concern Castiel was portraying for these made up characters in this made up world. His eyes were so sincere, eyebrows turned up and his lips pouting subtly. Dean leaned forward so their foreheads touched, lips a hair's breadth away from Castiel's; he took in the sight of those big blue orbs staring back expectantly and whispered to him, "You'll see,"

Castiel's heart jumped for a moment, Dean was so close, his breath warm against Castiel's skin. He held the eye contact for several moments, drifting away in Dean's gaze. Then he stopped, caught himself before he leaned in and closed that tiny gap between their lips. "You're no help," He whispered and leaned backward again, glad for the darkness of the room.

Dean grinned and looked back at the movie screen once more, romantic comedy was a good choice.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the week was a similar combination of close moments and angry outbursts. Friday afternoon finally rolled around and Dean couldn't have been more excited. He trotted home happily, Sam grudgingly following behind him. "You're still going through with this?" He asked sadly.

"Of course I am!" Dean chided, "I wanted him for this reason, why would I change my mind?"

"Because of how close you two got," Sam argued, furrowing his brow at the concept. "Cas might trust you now, you know? I mean, maybe not that much but a little is more than he did at the beginning of the week."

"What's your point?" Dean glanced at him, asking a question he felt he already knew the answer to.

"Cas doesn't like the idea of fighting, you know that already."

Dean looked ahead again; he knew that. But at the same time Castiel didn't understand the concepts behind most human things, Dean figured that this was probably just something that the angel needed to figure out for himself. From the reviews and interviews that he'd read he learned quite a bit about many angels' mentalities and majority of them went into the Angel Battle field with a negative outlook. After a while though they all started to enjoy it, it was something of a stress reliever he guessed. Either way, he figured that Castiel would be the same (regardless of the fact that Castiel seemed to be different a lot of the time).

They opened the door and entered into what appeared to be a disaster zone. The house was a mess; there was some white powder all over the floor and sprinkled on pretty much everything else. "What the hell…?" Dean slowly kicked his shoes off and wandered inside, "Mom? Cas?"

"In here," Mary's voice called from the kitchen with a bit of a giggle. Dean and Sam exchanged glances and quickly strode down the hall. They entered the kitchen, which was in similar disarray except possibly much worse. "Welcome home, boys." Mary smiled from her perch on top of a chair.

"Mom?" Sam questioned, glancing around at the mess, "What happened?"

"Oh nothing," She waved her hand at them, "There was just a mouse, that's all."

Dean smirked, "So you do the cliché thing and jump on a chair?"

"Yes," Mary frowned at him, "And normally I'd just hit it with a broom from up here except my distress alerted Castiel…" She trailed off, motioning toward the mess, "He tried to catch it for me and things got a little… messy."

"He fell into the flour bag, didn't he." Sam glanced down at the dumped bag on the floor with a raised eyebrow.

She nodded, "It was actually really funny."

"Where's Cas now?" Dean looked around.

"Out back with it." Mary nodded to the backdoor, "I'm waiting until he comes back and tells me it's gone."

"I think it's gone mom." Sam laughed.

Dean darted to the back and peered outside, slowly opening the door as he watched. Castiel knelt in the grass with his hands cupped together gently, his usually hardened blue eyes were soft and a small smile graced his lips. It would have been a very cute sight if not for the fact that Castiel was covered in the white powder, his hair dusted to a faint grey and his skin looking paler than normal.

"Hey Cas," Dean smiled, carefully crossing the lawn to his angel's side. "How's it going?"

Castiel's head snapped up and the little rodent in his hands scampered away and disappeared. He smiled quietly and stood up, "It's better," he nodded, glancing over at grass where he'd last seen the mouse, "Much better now."

"You all packed up?" Dean grinned, putting his arm around Castiel's shoulders.

"For what?" The angel looked at him skeptically, removing his human's arm from him.

"Camp, of course." Dean seemed entirely unfazed by Castiel's cold response. "We're off to train."

Castiel nodded solemnly, "Oh… No I haven't packed anything."

"Well let's get started then," Dean took his angel's hand and led him inside, Castiel dragging his feet the rest of the way.

It only took an hour before they had everything in bags, though mostly it was Dean packing. Castiel dropped himself onto the bed, crossed his legs, and hugged a pillow while watching. "Why are we going?"

"Because I need to learn how to handle you." Dean muttered, slightly annoyed that Castiel hadn't lifted a finger to help yet. "Mind packing your shit?"

Castiel recognized this as a question and smiled, "You do need to learn how to handle me, not that I'm complaining."

Dean looked at him and sighed, "Alright, alright fine. Just sit there." He smiled, eyeing the shape of Castiel's slender form scrunched up with a pillow. He mentally took the image apart, lying Castiel down in his mind and slowly undressing him.

"Dean?"

His eyes refocused on his angel's face and he felt a pang of regret for thinking what he just had; Castiel looked sad and fear was slowly overcoming every piece of confidence in his eyes. "Hey, Cas what's wrong?" Dean got up and sat next to Castiel who didn't reject his embrace when it came, instead he leaned into it.

"This training, it's for that fighting thing you planned for, right?" Castiel looked up at him, their cheeks rubbing against one another.

Dean smiled warmly at him; "Eventually we'll do something like that, but for now it's just to find a way to get us closer."

Castiel frowned and looked down again, at nothing in particular. "Can't we just stay here and get closer? Why do we have to go our there to do that?"

"Because there are specialists who know what they're doing and we have no idea," Dean gingerly pet Castiel's head, feeling the softness of his dark hair and drifting his hand down the back of his neck. "It'll be fine, come on. Tonight, all of Saturday and then the first part of Sunday, that's it for this week."

Castiel sighed and nodded, "I guess." He pursed his lips for a moment and shook his head, "Fine, if we have to I'll come with."

' _You didn't have a choice, but okay.'_  Dean thought with a smirk, "Great, now let's get this stuff in the car." Dean pat Castiel's shoulder and stood up, his angel following suit.

"So are you being taught or are 'we' being taught?" Castiel smirked, throwing his bag onto his back.

"We, goofball. Granted I need to learn a thing or two on my own and so do you, but as partners we need to figure some shit out." Dean stumbled through his thoughts out loud to try and organize them further.

"Partners?" Castiel repeated though his tone was very difficult to follow. "What do you mean partners?"

"You and me, me and you, we're a team." Dean smiled over at him, "Partners, a duo, just a group of two people. Why? What were you thinking?"

Castiel's cheeks flushed furiously and he shoved Dean away from him, "Nothing, shut up."

"What? Come on, what?" Dean laughed, pushing in close to Castiel's face playfully, poking some fun.

Castiel, face still bright red, shoved again though he laughed and couldn't keep his expression straight, "I said shut up you!"

This was the first drive that the pair took together, Dean behind the wheel and Castiel eagerly staring out the windows. He rolled the window of the '67 Impala down and leaned out, the wind blowing his hair around and messing it up thoroughly. "These things make no sense to me," he grumbled, sitting back in his seat and frowning at the scenery flowing by.

Dean was enthused that his angel was acting like a pet that would lean out the window and was totally confused with vehicles, or so his mindset had decided. "What's the matter?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow in Castiel's direction.

"Why would you want to drive in something so slow?" Castiel frowned and looked at Dean grumpily, "They aren't very useful."

Dean's eyebrow twitched and his smile slowly drifted down, "What do you mean slow? They're faster than humans."

Castiel nodded, "I suppose but if you have angels then why haven't you created anything faster?"

Dean had no answer for this so he looked back at the road, "Just buckle up."

"Fine."

Moments later Dean heard a long groan and his imagination got the better of him, snapping his head in Castiel's direction to see if what he heard was the result of something quite dirty. While he would have liked to see Castiel involved in some form of sexual act next to him, he still enjoyed what he found. His angel tangled up in the seatbelt and pulling on it distressingly to undo it. "Need some help?"

"Shut up, I've got it." Castiel growled.

"Just do it up like mine," Dean referred to the way his sat over his chest, Castiel glanced and furrowed his brow.

"Stupid useless thing." He spat out the words as he found his way out of the tangled mess, untwisting it and copying the way it sat on Dean. It clicked in easily and he glared down at it, "Useless thing." He mumbled again, crossing his arms over his chest and looking out the window.

"Come on, cheer up. It won't be so bad." Dean rubbed his angel's leg, who flinched at the touch.

Castiel looked at the hand on his upper thigh and fought the blush away from his cheeks, "Are there going to be other angels present?" he looked up at Dean, keeping his mind on track.

"Yeah, should be." Dean smiled, "This is a weekend thing that goes on for a few weeks and it starts today so anyone who recently acquired an angel in the area will be there."

"What are the chances of that?" Castiel looked at him skeptically.

"Well not every place has a training facility so there might be one or two other groups." Dean shrugged, "Not many."

"Wonderful." Castiel looked out the window again and sighed, watching the scenery flip by.

They arrived an hour or so later and Castiel happily hopped out of the car to stretch his legs. "You really need to find better transportation." He looked at Dean accusingly.

"Hey I love this car! No way man." Dean argued back, closing the door. He walked over to the trunk and popped it open, dragging their bags out and tossing Castiel's to him.

The angel caught it and threw it over his shoulders, waiting for Dean to do the same. "What now?"

"We walk to the registration cabin over there," Dean pointed. They were in a dirt parking lot with very few vehicles in it. The grounds looked like an abandoned camp that had long lost its usefulness for children. Now it had several different things set up made particularly to hold angels in and train them properly, not to mention that most of the property had been destroyed somehow. Angels were apparently difficult to train when they didn't want to be.

They crossed the grounds, Castiel eyeing the different setups and catching glimpses of different Enochian sigils all around the place. "I don't like it here." He looked at Dean with a concerned expression, "Do they intend to trap me in some of those cages?"

Dean looked over at what must have been the 'scolding and punishing' section of the campgrounds and shrugged, "Not if you listen to them. Don't worry about it Cas, they won't leave you in a cage."

Castiel nodded slowly and looked ahead at the registration building. They walked inside and were met by a small, plump woman who looked up with big brown eyes. "Oh hello! You must be Dean Winchester!" She beamed, hopping off her chair and taking many quick but small steps across the nicely swept wooden floor to Dean, "A very handsome young man you are," She stuck her hand up to him warmly, "Nice to meet you."

Dean smiled, "Uh yeah, you to Miss…." He trailed off for her to finish his sentence as he shook her hand.

"Mrs. Milton," She smiled, "Much too old to be a 'miss'."

"Right," He laughed, "Well this is Castiel, my angel."

She adjusted the small glasses on her nose and looked at him, "My, my! Quite a pretty one you got." She looked Castiel up and down thoroughly, "Good face, nice shoulders, slender waist, and I bet he's got a…" She wandered behind him and nodded adamantly, "Yep, gorgeous ass."

Castiel flinched when she gave him a light slap and stepped closer to Dean, eyeing the woman strangely. "Thank you, I think."

"He sure does," Dean grinned, "You should see him naked."

Castiel blushed and shoved him, "Watch it."

"You two seem to get along swimmingly," Mrs. Milton smiled cutely, "So adorable, I don't this very often between partners."

"Partners?" Castiel questioned again, finding he was still unsure about that word.

"Yes, you two are quite the phenomenal pair already."

Dean lowered an eyebrow at her, "We're phenomenal? We just got here."

"I've never seen a couple work so well first thing, not to mention the attraction between you." She winked at them, bringing a harder blush to Castiel's cheeks. "Why don't you boys get settled into cabin A? Someone will be by to talk to you in a bit."

"Right," Dean smiled; glad he was doing so well already. He took Castiel's hand to make a point and led him out the door again.

"She was odd," Castiel muttered.

"Yeah, but come on, she liked your ass." Dean grinned at him.

"So do you." Castiel argued, looking up at him skeptically.

"So?"

"So it weirds me out." Castiel turned his nose up slightly, looking away from Dean promptly.

"Do I weird you out when I like your ass?" Dean had to ask.

Castiel paused, his hesitation giving his emotions away for a brief second. "Sometimes," he admitted then glanced at Dean shyly, "Not always."

Dean smiled and opened the door to their cabin, "Not a bad thing," he squeeze his angel's hand. "Let's get ourselves settled in here."

Castiel nodded and smiled, maybe this training wouldn't be the end of the world, maybe getting closer to this human wouldn't ruin him


	7. Chapter 7

They sat in the cabin for what felt like hours, Dean fumbled with some things, looked at Castiel curiously, who decided it was a good idea to sprawl out on one of the beds. This cabin had several in it, obviously it was originally some kind of bible camp or something and shady bunk beds were all the rave back in the days it was built. However, something Dean couldn't complain about was the fact that Castiel had chosen one particular bed; the one that Dean picked out upon arrival. Castiel was apparently very used to sleeping next to Dean and didn't plan on making any new habits.

"Maybe we're early." Dean muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, "What time is it?"

"Seven in the evening." Castiel answered promptly, as if he'd been keeping track. "I think Mrs. Milton went home and forgot about us." He sat up and looked at Dean with a smile, "We should just go home, no point in staying here all weekend with nothing to do."

"Not so fast," Dean lifted an eyebrow, "We'll keep waiting, I paid money for this."

Castiel pouted and flopped over again, "Fine, whatever."

"Yeah whatever," Dean sighed and pulled his shirt over his head, "Might as well get some sleep."

Castiel's gaze lingered on Dean's toned torso, a light skip in his chest as his eyes scanned down to the fine definition leading into Dean's jeans. "We're going to bed at seven?"

"No, I'm taking a nap at seven. Wake me if someone comes." Dean crawled into the bed with Castiel on top and pulled the blankets up to his chest.

"Right," Castiel nodded and looked at the doorway, waiting patiently.

Not too long after Dean was softly snoring, his chest rising and falling gently. Castiel looked down at him, taking in the peaceful sight of his human. Dean's expression was serene, mouth closed in that constant pout, his lips flush and looking so inviting…

Castiel leaned down; his forehead gently pressed against Dean's, their noses touching and their lips barely apart. Blue eyes batted their lashes for a moment, taking in the sights from so close, he could feel Dean's breath on him and for a moment he was content. Sitting here with Dean, relaxed and doing nothing but together… He was no longer afraid. Not all humans were evil, as he had dared to dream so long ago. Why, then, did they insist on such stupid things? Why capture and enslave angels? He wished he had the answers but of course, as everything else in his life, nothing was so easy.

"Mmm… Cas." Dean whispered, a light moan vibrating in his throat.

Castiel looked at him and saw no signs of waking; Dean was dreaming about him and talking in his sleep. The angel couldn't do anything but smile at the thought, what could possibly be going through his owner's mind? Part of him wanted to know, another was telling him to just let it lie. Regardless of what Dean was dreaming about particularly; it was kind of sweet that he'd be thinking of Castiel that much. How important was he to this human?

Dean's expression scrunched slightly, his brow twitching. "No… no ..n't go Cas." His mutters were barely understandable but Castiel managed to get the gist of it; Dean's dream had turned into a nightmare in which Castiel was leaving him.

The angel nuzzled his nose against Dean's gently, "I'm right here, Dean." He whispered softly, his lips brushing Dean's lightly with each movement, "And I'm not going anywhere." Castiel could hear the words leave his mouth and for once he believed they were his; this was something Castiel would say, not the fearful, angry, and lonely angel that had been wandering this earth for decades. Castiel loved humans, his father's creations, all of it. He wanted nothing more than for humans to accept his kind and let them live among them, of course that never came to pass.

Dean's face relaxed and his lips curled up at the corners, "Cas…" he mumbled, content.

Castiel smiled warmly and pressed his lips to Dean's, gently at first and slowly pouring in his passion.

Then the door opened with an audible click of the handle, it slid across the floor immediately after. Castiel sat upright and looked at whom their visitors were, his eyes connecting with the pale blue of another man's. This new comer had a scuzzy look to him; a shaggy haircut and scruffy beard were the start of it.

"Oh! S-sorry, wrong cabin," his voice sounded shrill, especially in comparison to Castiel's.

Dean sat up from the sudden commotion, "Wait, wait!" He called, "Not the wrong cabin, buddy. Come on in."

The door slid open again, the same man scuffling inside with a single, ratty bag in his hand, "Uh, hi." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey, name's Dean Winchester, this is Cas." Dean started the introductions, knowing that first communications between people can be pretty rough even when you aren't a sketchy weirdo.

"M-my name's Chuck and this is Anna," Chuck stepped aside and let the young redhead in.

"Anna?" Castiel stood up suddenly, recognizing the name of one of his old superiors.

She looked up and her face lightened, "Castiel! It's so good to see you." She strode across the cabin and hugged her brother tightly. "I mean… well you know what I mean."

Castiel smiled and returned the hug, "Yes, I understand what you mean. It's nice to see a familiar face, despite the circumstance."

She nodded, stepping back to look at him, "You seem to be okay, how long have you been with your human?"

"About a week," Castiel admitted, "I was caught last Friday night."

"Wait, only caught last Friday?" Anna stared at him, "You were free until then?" Castiel's nodding head made her heart sink, "I'm so sorry, Castiel." She placed her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Thank you, but I am alright." Castiel smiled, "I got lucky, it seems."

"You were caught, how's that lucky?" Anna furrowed her brow, "I'm stuck with this sorry piece of work for the rest of his life." She nodded toward Chuck, "Not so fun."

"Come on," Chuck whined, "It's not like I asked my father to put you in his will for me, I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Then let me go!" She commanded.

 

"But if I do that you'll get caught by someone else," Chuck reasoned, "It could be much worse."

"He's right," Castiel nodded, "I've heard about that organization of people who torture angels for fun, you could be with them."

She sighed and nodded, "Yeah I know, it's just that Chuck's such a… A…" She fumbled for the right descriptor, "He's such a pussy."

Dean laughed, "Dude, your angel called you a pussy."

"She's called me worse before." Chuck shrugged and placed his bag on a bed, "So uh… You guys are pretty close, huh?"

"What gives you that impression?" Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Well-"

"It's probably because we aren't fighting like they are," Castiel interrupted, his gaze fixed on Chuck intimidatingly.

"We probably fight more," Dean muttered, "But whatever, doesn't matter I guess. What'd Mrs. Milton tell you guys?"

"That supper would be served soon," Chuck smiled, "I'm glad they include food here."

Anna turned a flat expression on him, "If it weren't for the fact that she used to know me, you wouldn't be here for free."

Chuck gave her a bow of his head, "I know, I'm sorry."

"That dude needs to be here more than me…" Dean whispered to Cas who only smirked at him, holding back a snicker.

Supper was uneventful for the most part; Dean, Castiel, Chuck and Anna all wandered to the mess hall and sat down. A small spread was laid out for them, which Chuck thoroughly enjoyed while both Anna and Castiel eyed it suspiciously. Dean didn't really care one way or the other, it was food and he was hungry.

Mrs. Milton walked over to them with a big grin about half an hour later, "How's everyone enjoying their stay?" She asked politely.

"Good," Dean looked at her with a bit of an annoyed expression, "But I came here for the training and I haven't gotten it yet."

"That'll start first thing tomorrow," She sad calmly, "Tonight you should spend some time with your partner, learn something new about him."

Dean and Castiel exchanged glances then looked back at her, "Like what?"

"Anything, a favourite pastime, food, sleeping position, you name it." She looked at their plates then back at them, "Dessert will be out shortly."

Dean nodded, "Alright, good enough for me." He took his fork and finished shoveling his dinner into his mouth, "Bring on dessert!"

"You're a pig," Castiel smirked.

Dean grinned, "Yeah but it's the little things in life that make it special."

Castiel paused and nodded his head in agreement, "I suppose you're right."

Dean was surprised, that might've been one of the first things they actually agreed on. His smile broadened, his arm slipping around Castiel's shoulders, "You gotta have some dessert at least."

"Maybe, they did go through the trouble of making it after all."

"Exactly," Chuck beamed, "And if you don't eat yours then I'll gladly take it off your hands."

"Except he's with me so I'd get it," Dean countered, "You have your own 'non-eating' friend."

Chuck glanced at Anna who gave him a flat expression. He hid away from it and cleared his throat, "Uh right, of course."

Supper ended similarly to the way it started, they were free to roam the area, the only rule placed on them on the grounds was that they couldn't go anywhere without one another. Castiel wandered outside and stretched, Dean following suit, fed and happy. "Today has been an entire waste of time." Castiel muttered, his shirt riding up as his arms stretched above his head.

Dean looked at him and shrugged, "I'm not so sure, I mean we did make it here and we met Chuck and Anna."

His angel paused and nodded, agreeing for the second time that day, "That's true, I haven't seen a sibling in a long time. It's… kind of nice."

Dean smiled, watching the glint in Castiel's softened blue eyes. A week ago those same eyes were hardened to Dean, angry and hateful, ready to lash out. "Hey Cas?" Dean brushed his angel's cheek lightly, causing him to turn his head to look.

"Yes?" Castiel lowered his arms and allowed Dean to step closer, his heart beating irregularly at Dean's touch.

"Can you tell me more about yourself?" Dean hadn't really thought of asking questions, he figured he'd just end up learning what he needed to know by watching.

Castiel squinted at him and looked down at his own fidgeting hands. "What did you want to know?"

"What are your likes and dislikes? Start there."

Castiel shook his head and looked up at Dean, "I don't understand what you mean…"

Dean paused, thought it over and nodded, "Okay, what makes you happy?"

Castiel closed his eyes and tilted his head down, "I… I don't know anymore."

Dean's expression fell, his eyes saddening, "Cas…" He took his angel's hand and squeezed it, "Come with me."

Castiel looked up at him and nodded, not in the mood to argue anymore. Dean led him away from the buildings and out into a wide-open space behind the camp. The sun was setting softly and there was nothing out there but them, a cool breeze on their skin and fresh air in their lungs. "What are we doing over here?" Castiel asked, confused.

"I wanted to take you to a space where nothing else can distract you, now," Dean took both of Castiel's hands in his own and lifted them up between them, "What has made you happy recently?"

Castiel stared at their interlocked hands, a familiar heat in his cheeks rising slowly. His gaze shifted up to Dean's eyes, glancing between them rapidly. His mind raced to find an answer but stopped as soon as he realized something critical; he was looking at his answer. "You." He said simply, "You have made me happy."

Dean looked genuinely surprised, the relationship between them, if there even was one, was strained at best. Castiel saying something like this now was… it was a nice change. "Thank you, Cas." He smiled warmly, "That means a lot."

Castiel nodded and looked down at their hands again, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I… was alone for a long time before your father caught- your father's  _cheeseburgers_ caught me. I hadn't seen another person in so long, I missed it." He stepped closer and leaned against Dean, his head resting on his human's shoulder and eyes closed.

Dean lifted his arms around Castiel, letting go of his hands and pulling him in, "Hey it's alright," he whispered into the soft black hair tickling his jaw and chin, "You won't be alone again, I promise."

Castiel laughed, his shoulders shaking against Dean's embrace. He finally knew what that feeling was the first time he was captured, the thing that made him calm down enough to not try to escape as many times as he could have. He was relieved, relieved he was with others again, despite how cruel they may end up being.

Castiel got lucky; none of them were as terrible as he'd imagined them to be. That didn't mean his brothers and sisters were as fortunate as himself.

"Dean…" He lifted his head again, keeping his face in close to his master's. "I appreciate that, but I don't expect you to keep a promise so out of your control."

Dean swallowed, taking in the sight of Castiel's serene expression. Calm, relaxed, and finally trusting. "You really are beautiful, Cas."

"Thank you," Castiel accepted the compliment, for the first time believing Dean's words. He looked his human up and down, searching for a response that might suit the situation. Something he'd heard from one of Mary's television programs came to mind and he smiled up at Dean again, "And you're fucking sexy."

Dean's expression was indescribable, blinking incredulously. His smile cracked his face in half and he stifled a snicker that threatened to ruin the moment, "Thanks, Cas. Where'd, uh… Where'd you hear that one?"

"Your mother was watching the TV and I heard a conversation similar to this one, the response was 'you're fucking sexy' so I thought I'd use it. Is that wrong?" Castiel tilted his head slightly, not sure if he'd done something entirely inappropriate.

Dean, still grinning, shook his head. "No, Cas. Not at all."

Castiel nodded, looking up at the sky for a second to find his mentality again. "You're the only people I'll allow to call me that,"

"Hm?" Dean raised his eyebrows, "Who?"

"People I like, the ones I care about. Only they may call me 'Cas'." He looked at Dean with a smile, "A sign of our closeness."

With a bit of a chuckle Dean leaned in and kissed Castiel on the cheek, "Adorable."

"Shut up, human." Castiel laughed, swatting him away.

"Oh, racist!" Dean swatted back and trotted away.

Castiel ran after him for vengeance, "And if I am!"

That night was spent between them, running and playing out in the open field until they tired of it. Castiel ran Dean down and they fell into the tall grass together, the angel crawling up Dean's torso and pinning his shoulders down, one leg on either side of him. "I win." He breathed with a smile.

Dean stared up at him, his grin growing. "This is the same way we touched for the first time, remember?"

Castiel exhaled a laugh, "Yeah except then I was naked and shouting at you."

"You could do it that way now, too." Dean wiggled his eyebrows, only getting more snickers from his partner. "Come on, let's go back to the cabin."

Castiel nodded and hopped up, standing over his human. "Alright, let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

Dean groaned loudly when a loud and aggravating horn sounded throughout the camp. While the sound was indeed annoying, it wasn't what made him groan. Castiel, who had been snuggled up close to him, jumped violently at the sudden noise. They cracked heads and Dean was the one left moaning in pain, Castiel barely noticing above the pounding in his ears.

"It's just our alarm, calm down Cas." Dean sat up and rubbed his head tentatively, "It doesn't mean anything."

Castiel glared at him, "I know that! It just… startled me, that's all." He shifted; embarrassed that he was scared at all. Dean found that pretty funny considering the angel was sleeping in his preferred nothing with others in the cabin.

Chuck sat up from the floor, where he'd promptly flailed to at the sound of the horn. "So training starts today?" He grumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Looks that way," Dean smiled and hopped out of bed. "I can't believe I slept at all, this is going to be awesome!"

Castiel pulled his clothes on, smiling shyly when he caught Dean's gaze on his naked form again. It didn't matter before but for some reason he was enjoying it now. He liked it when Dean looked at him that way. The thought was less surprising than the odd sensation he felt vibrating to his lower regions. He looked down and saw his cock was sticking out, swelling and starting to ache. He furrowed his brow at it and tried to force it into his pants, a moan caught in his throat from the faint pressure he put on it.

"Cas?" Dean looked up from fumbling for clean pants, hearing another whimper coming from his angel. Since Castiel wasn't facing him, Dean went around the angel's side. "You okay?" His gaze went from Castiel's flushed face to what he was struggling with and Dean couldn't help but grin. "What's the problem?"

"I can't…" Castiel looked down embarrassed, "Get it back in."

Dean fought the strong desire to 'awww' at that. "Here," he reached down, not ignoring the lack of flinching on Castiel's part. The angel watched cautiously though he didn't fight Dean's touch this time. Blue eyes staring sharply were quickly dilating; lust widening his pupils. Castiel's hips jerked forward slightly when Dean's strong hand grasped his hardened member, moaning softly as he leaned against his human.

Dean smiled and as he slowly slipped Castiel's dick down, he massaged it tenderly. "Better?" he teased, letting Castiel lean on and press against him.

Castiel gasped and whined, his face hot, red, and starting to moisten against Dean's skin. "Mmmm… no." He glanced up, his eyes blown wide with arousal, hips thrusting forward and back to get a little more friction from Dean's hand. "Ah… ah ah" all his weight was In Dean's free arm now while the other supported him but was mostly focused on the task at hand.

Chuck came back from the rest room and promptly flinched, thrashing frantically about the sight in front of him. "WHOA! Put that away!"

"Working on it." Dean smiled warmly, watching the air-humping angel in his arms.

Anna sat quietly watching, an understanding smile on her face. She remembered Castiel, always oblivious and innocent. It was nice to see him get a little dirty, have a little fun.

"Come on!" Chuck whined, shielding his eyes and turning away. "Not what I want to see first thing."

Castiel's eyes fluttered open and looked down at the hand stroking his hardened flesh, suddenly aware of what he was doing. "Ohhh whoa wait…" He moaned, "Dean wait."

Dean slowed his hand and started to slide it away, "Alright, if you say so."

Castiel groaned louder, needier. The pain of want settled in his groin again, urging his mind for more, "No no no don't stop… don't stop please." He whimpered and thrust again desperately. "More, I need more… please Dean, please more…"

"Okay, okay," Dean said calmly, as if it were normal. He took a firm grip of Castiel's cock and started jacking him off skillfully, watching carefully as his angel squirmed into the sensations.

Castiel was easy to get off, moments later he was shaking into his orgasm and crying out. He didn't understand the commonalities and screamed as loudly as he could in hopes it'd relieve the intense feelings he was experiencing. He trembled into Dean, slumping and curling against him. Dean gave Castiel's softening dick a few extra strokes, squeezing out the remaining hot fluids between his fingers.

"There you go, all better." He whispered.

"Don't… talk to me like I'm an infant." Castiel mumbled tiredly, satisfied.

"Of course," Dean snickered, "Well you should have no problem getting it back in your pants now."

Castiel straightened and cleaned himself up. "Thank you," he tried to rub the redness from his cheeks though it didn't help any. He ignored the skip in his chest as he headed for the door, "What are you waiting for? Let's go." He demanded in the strongest tone he could muster.

Dean laughed a little, "Just too cute." He went to the bathroom and did what he needed to do, which was mostly relieve himself after watching such a hot display. He could hardly believe he'd had his hands on his angel's cock and the winged being did nothing to stop him, instead leaned on him and begged him for more. Now he was using the same hot release that was excreted from Castiel as a lubricant on himself, it didn't take him long.

Once all morning rituals were complete, the group walked out of their cabin and wandered toward the food hall. They expected breakfast first but that idea flew out the window as soon as Anna spotted an incoming angel. A stiff, uptight blonde angel landed before them, placing Mrs. Milton on the ground next to her. "Good morning good morning!" Mrs. Milton smiled warmly; unexpectedly chipper so early in the day.

"Uh, hey." Dean waved a little, his blood starting to pump strong again, "Are we getting started!" He asked excitedly, all but jumping up and down.

Mrs. Milton nodded, "We are indeed,"

"But… breakfast?" Chuck asked, concerned.

"You aren't paying to eat, are you? Bring your own food next week." The angel next to Mrs. Milton scolded stiffly before looking at her brother and sister, "Hello Anna, Castiel. It's been a long time."

Castiel smiled at her, "Rachel, it's good to see you."

Anna went for a hug instead of exchanging words, "You're teaching us?" She asked, stepping back.

"That's right," Rachel motioned toward Mrs. Milton, "She'll be showing the humans different tricks and I'll be giving you guys some pointers."

Castiel leaned in to his sisters, "Uhm, I've never been… Well… this is my first human." He said awkwardly, glancing over at Dean who was urging Mrs. Milton to continue. "What should I do?"

"Do what he says," Rachel looked at him seriously, "That's rule number one, something you couldn't break if you wanted to. To make anything work with your human you cannot fight their decision, they urge you left that's where you go, else you fall."

"Fall how?" Castiel tilted his head questioningly.

"Quite literally you fall down." Anna laughed, "It's not the biggest deal but it can get very annoying. Especially if your human is indecisive. That's Chuck's problem. Well, that and he's a pansy."

Rachel shook her head, "We'll do what we can with him, however his personality won't change so easily."

"Come on, come on!" Dean took Castiel's hand, "Let's get out to the field, Mrs. Milton says we'll be starting things over there."

Castiel blushed at the contact between them and nodded, "Of course."

"We'll meet you there." Mrs. Milton spoke as Rachel lifted her into the air and took off on sparkling white wings. "Fly if you can!" She called distantly.

"Ha, right." Chuck scoffed, "I'm walking." He started marching through the grass, Anna following suit obediently.

Dean considered the thought and felt a gust of wind behind him, "Cas?" He glanced back to see Castiel's wings had come out again, strong and majestic, and stretching.

"Ahh that feels good." Castiel rolled up the shirt he'd removed and handed it to Dean, "Hold this, I'll take us there."

"Uh, Cas?" Dean tried to interject though he was a little distracted with the beautiful wings before him. He didn't want to ruin his angel's fun but at the same time…

Castiel lifted Dean into his arms and with a powerful thrust they were airborne. Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's neck and buried his face into his chest. "Oh god oh god oh god…" He squirmed and squeezed his eyes shut. "Cas slow down or hurry up or something!"

Castiel touched down in the grass across from Rachel, looking down at the whining human in his arms. "Dean? What's wrong?" he asked, unaware of the fear and concern in his voice.

"I'm good, I'm fine." Dean struggled and scrambled onto the ground, straight to his hands and knees. "I just…" He swallowed and hung his head, "Hate flying."

Castiel looked utterly appalled by this, "You hate  _flying_? How? It's wonderful!"

"I just don't have the stomach for it." Dean groaned and pulled himself to his feet, luckily he'd only been in the air for a minute or two and hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

Castiel frowned, "You don't trust that I'll catch you?"

Dean wasn't sure how to approach that question, Castiel had been nothing but distrusting and cold toward him and now seemed offended that Dean was returning the favour partially. "It's not that, I just get sick that's all."

"Well you'll have to get used to it, I like flying." Castiel crossed his arms and turned his nose up.

Chuck and Anna ran up the path, the scuzzy man waving his hands, "We're coming! We're coming!" He called, "Don't start without us!"

Mrs. Milton sighed and looked over at Dean, "At least you tried to fly."

Dean laughed, "Yeah, well that's Chuck."

Once the other two joined them Mrs. Milton put on her teaching face, much less friendly compared to the pudgy smile she wore behind the desk on day one. "Alright, Dean, Chuck, I want you two to tell me the first thing you noticed about your angel."

"She was beautiful, I thought I was dreaming." Chuck stuttered awkwardly, "Then she cracked me in the head."

"You grabbed my ass!" Anna snapped bitterly. Chuck only laughed nervously at the accusation.

"Alright, and you?" Mrs. Milton looked at Dean who was concentrating, trying to remember his first thought.

"I know I was excited to see my very own angel, he was naked and gorgeous, quiet and scared; I was dumbstruck." He laughed a little, "And then he tackled me to the ground, his hands ready to strangle me, shouting at me. Cas was pretty intense."

Mrs. Milton smiled, "Sounds like you all had rocky starts. Now tell me something you've learned about them since then."

"Anna is a very strong, individualistic person who doesn't seem to like me much." Chuck said quickly.

"Cas loves cheeseburgers, sleeping naked, and as much as he'd deny it, he likes me." Dean smirked, glancing at his angel's red but disapproving face.

"Excellent, by the time we're finished here I want you to be able to expand on those answers. Your angels aren't just pets, they aren't an object you can own and let it sit and collect dust. Your angel is alive, breathing, speaking, and feeling, treat them with respect." Mrs. Milton placed a comforting hand on Rachel's bicep, her angel being much taller than herself. "The next exercise is going to require some thinking." She walked over to Castiel and made a circular motion around his core, "Angels have something called a grace, the source of their power, the thing that humans have bound to themselves. It's through this path we've created that we can connect to our angel. Such a connection makes living with one another easier; we can share thoughts, emotions, memories, and in the human's case, we can give orders."

Dean shook his head, "Wait, I'm confused, how do we give orders through some weird connection to their stomachs?"

"Not their stomachs, you oaf." Mrs. Milton scolded, "Their grace. It's in the core of their being, it gives them the abilities they have, without it they'd be just like normal humans."

"Right," Chuck nodded as if he'd known this already, "But uh…. How do we give and share and stuff?"

"You have to make the connection." Mrs. Milton stated simply.

"But we already cast the binding spell, otherwise they wouldn't be here with us." Dean furrowed his brow.

"Not that connection! That was the path, you need to  _connect_  with him." Mrs. Milton remained fairly patient, despite the stupid questions.

Castiel blinked several times in rapid succession, "They're going to connect to our grace!" He sounded uneasy at best, "Isn't that… dangerous?"

"Not entirely," Rachel looked over at her brother, "If you and the human are even remotely compatible you should be able to do it without any issues. It's rare that a pairing rejects one another to the point that someone gets hurt."

"But it's happened." Castiel added, "Isn't that right?"

"I won't lie, it's occurred before, but never here." Rachel looked over at Mrs. Milton who nodded in agreement.

"It's safe, don't worry. Now, this task will either be simple or it will take you all day."

"Based on what?" Dean questioned again, he was paying for this he may as well get his money's worth.

"Based on how well the two of you fit together, this isn't something that you can fix by going on a date with them either. This is a predetermined bond that was created long ago, when your angel was born. I've heard of angels connecting with their human in minutes after trying, meaning they were meant to be together. This compared to those who reject one another, individuals considered to be very incompatible, there is no celestial bond between such a pairing."

"Celestial bond, eh?" Dean looked at Castiel who turned to face him. Despite his sarcastic tone, Dean was pretty eager to know what kind of bond he had with his angel. Were they meant to be? It was a burning question.


	9. Chapter 9

"Well go on, go on give it a try!" Mrs. Milton said excitedly, "You first, Mr. Shurley, Anna." Chuck and his angel peered at one another for a moment; he swallowed hard and shifted awkwardly.

"Uhm," he glanced up at Rachel then shifted his gaze to Mrs. Milton, "What uh, what do I do?"

"Sit in the grass, across from your partner," Mrs. Milton instructed patiently, watching the two do as she said. "This helps you visualize them. Now, take the other's hand and hold it, this will help you feel your partner." She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, "Now, you have to  _feel_ them inside."

Anna rolled her eyes, "I've done this before, just follow my lead." Chuck swallowed again and nodded, trusting her.

Dean, Castiel and the other two stood and watched for several minutes. Dean leaned over to Mrs. Milton, "Hey, how do we know it'll work? I mean, what if it takes all day?"

The plump little woman looked up at him and smiled, "Oh we'd be able to tell by now, it seems they're almost there."

Dean furrowed his brow and looked again, this time catching a spark between the two, flashing brightly and sending a loud crack through the air. "WHOA!" Dean cried excitedly, "That was amazing!"

Castiel stared and bit his bottom lip anxiously, his chest tightening. Anna had just made a stronger connection on purpose, connected her grace to Chuck's soul without even hesitating. She was entirely unafraid of the possibility of rejection; it didn't even cross her mind that she might be forever attached to someone who was completely wrong for her. Castiel couldn't ignore the thoughts that plagued his mind in this moment, the fear and heart pounding anxiety.

"Alright, you two are next." Mrs. Milton smiled, watching Dean drop into the grass eagerly, motioning for Castiel to follow him. Somehow Dean had missed the nervous expression his angel was wearing, too excited to do this to the point of basically ignoring Castiel's needs.

Despite his feelings, Castiel sat down across from Dean and they took each other's hands. Dean took a slow breath and closed his eyes, feeling Castiel's presence while disregarding the physical touch. He breathed softly, inhaling more sharply to catch Castiel's scent above the others. "How do I know if it's working?" He asked, his voice sounding as though it were in an enormous empty room.

Dean's eyes popped open and he looked around, finding that he was now standing and no longer in an open field. "Whoa… Cas?" he called out, his echo distantly repeating. There was nothing around him but swirling voids below, above, and on all sides. Or so he thought before spotting a beautiful glow straight ahead of him.

He started walking closer, watching that light form into a figure he knew could only be Castiel. His suspicious were proven true as he watched those blue eyes lift up and gaze at him with an intensity he'd never felt before. "Cas," he smiled and trotted closer, only to find that he couldn't. He was at the limit of how close he could get, half way to his angel. Castiel would have to close the gap.

Dean struggled against the barrier for a moment, not terribly pleased with it. He looked up at the gorgeous figure of his angel. Castiel looked small, scared. His body language said enough for him; he was pulled into himself as if hiding from the world. His limbs shaking, jaw trembling, and wings almost enclosed around his slender, naked form. Castiel was beautiful, not a single flaw in that form.

"Cas, come here." Dean spoke gently, smiling and reaching for his angel.

Castiel tilted his head and eyed the hand he was meant to take, but didn't move.

"Cas," Dean urged cautiously, knowing the temperament of his friend could be very intense if pushed too far.

Castiel bit his lip and shook his head, taking a step backward; his glowing wings flowing as if in a no-gravity zone. "I… I can't."

Dean lowered his hand against an invisible barrier that he couldn't pass on his own, no matter how many steps he took toward Castiel, his angel remained the same distance away. "What can't you do?"

Castiel looked down at himself self-consciously, "Because I'm scared that it won't work." He glanced up to make eye contact with his human carefully, "I'm scared we don't have a bond."

It was Dean's turn to tilt his head in confusion, "Why would that scare you?"

"These are our purest forms, Dean." Castiel explained, moving his hands to indicate both of them, "This is who I am, this is my core being. And you are yours. If we don't have a bond I…" He shifted uncomfortably and looked away, "I don't know what I'll do."

Dean watched Castiel's movement and smiled to himself, "Does that really bother you?"

"Of course it does!" Castiel snapped.

"Why?"

"I like you," Castiel blushed and looked away shyly, "I really like you and I don't want to be with anyone else."

Dean beamed for a moment before speaking again, "I promise, Cas. We will have a bond, I can already tell so there's no reason to be scared. Come here, I'll prove it."

Castiel hesitated, watching Dean carefully. He nodded and decided to trust blindly, stepping off his perch and crossing the strange threshold to his human's side. Their hands reached for the other's, both feeling the intense sensations of anxiety and hope just before their fingers touched.

They locked hands together, staring into each other's eyes in a way neither was too familiar with. Their surroundings flashed brightly and engulfed them entirely, they never looked away from the other for a moment and neither was blinded.

Chuck fell back and shielded his eyes as a massively bright light nearly exploded from the two in the grass. "WHOA!" he shouted, peeking at them, "What was that!"

Mrs. Milton clapped her hands excitedly and cheered, "Oh my I haven't seen that in years! What a strong bond they have!"

Dean opened his eyes to see Castiel watching him just as he had been moments before. "Where were we just now?" Dean wasn't sure if he really knew what just happened, he wasn't entirely used to being in touch with his soul.

"I'd call that your shared space," Mrs. Milton smiled happily, "You two made your connection! I'm so happy for you both!"

Castiel rubbed his cheek to push the blush away, "I uh," he looked at Dean and smiled a little, "I guess we work well together."

' _More than that.'_  Rachel blinked incredulously,  _'That might've been a pure bond. Castiel may actually really be Dean Winchester's angel, as it was written and meant to be.'_ She exchanged a look with Anna who seemed to get a similar feeling from it.

Dean and Castiel slowly pulled themselves to their feet, both feeling a little light headed and yet incredible at the same time. "I feel really tingly," Dean wiggled his fingers, letting the sensation rush through his muscles.

Castiel shuddered and stretched, "Me too, that was…"

"Awesome?" Dean looked at him with a grin.

Nodding, Castiel looked over at Mrs. Milton, "So, now what? I mean we just connected so how do we converse and stuff?"

"You just do," She winked at him, "It comes as naturally as breathing."

Dean looked at Castiel for a second and in that moment Castiel spun to face him, his hands coming up and starting to undo his pants. "Dean?" Castiel stuttered as he watched himself, not entirely in control. He concentrated hard enough and his movements became very jittery and twitching. "What are you doing?" His tone was warning as he fought to regain control of himself.

Dean let out a short laugh, "Sorry Cas, I started picturing something and you just sorta… started doing it."

Rachel's eyebrows raises slightly, "You didn't even order him, you just suggested?"

"Imagined," Dean corrected, "I was trying to think of a way to get my thoughts across to Cas then I figured that I had to have some sort of command and… well that's what I pictured."

Castiel had regained control of himself, or Dean had somehow let go. Both still needed a little more practice before they could really call themselves good at this. "Whatever that was," the angel snorted, "Don't do it again." He re-buttoned his pants and adjusted his shirt huffily.

Dean smirked, "I'll do it again, but I'll do it myself."

Castiel blushed furiously and shot him a death-glare.

Mrs. Milton clapped her hands again, "Splendid, splendid. We'll eat breakfast and then carry on with the rest of training." She waved at them and before they knew it, she and Rachel had flown off.

"Not happening," Dean pointed at Castiel as the angel lit up with the thought of flying. "We're walking.

Castiel's shoulders slumped and he trudged along with Dean, Chuck, and Anna back to the food hall. "Fine." He grumbled, "But you better not screw training up."

"How hard could it be? I can get you to do stuff by imagining it, no prob." Dean smiled.

"Not if he's rejecting you like he did," Chuck pointed out, "Anna knows how to do this and she knows how to sync her thoughts and ideas with mine so we match. You and Cas… not so much I figure."

Dean raised an eyebrow at the scruffy older man for a second, considering what he said. "I think we can do it pretty easily, right Cas?"

Castiel kicked at the dirt, barely paying attention to their conversation. He stared up at the sky and sighed lightly, feeling the uneasiness in his wings. He used to be able to spread them and just go, now he was waiting for the 'ok' from some little jerk. Life was too complicated.


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, now it's time to use that bond you've made," Mrs. Milton strode back and forth in front of the campers. Breakfast was long over and they had to trek back to the middle of nowhere, or fly. Of course, Mrs. Milton and Rachel were the only ones doing that, much to Castiel's dismay. "Once mastered, this is the most effective way to communicate with your partner. Whether you're just telling them to pick up milk or you plan on fighting in the arena with the pros, it's the best way to go about it."

Dean swallowed anxiously, excited to get to the parts of the training that helped in his overall goal. He glanced at Castiel who could clearly sense his excitement. Dean smiled, for a moment they seemed in sync. Then suddenly he felt a backlash of negative emotion all aimed toward the idea of the battle arena. While Mrs. Milton babbled on about technical things that Dean wasn't entirely sure he understood in the first place, he focused on his angel's thought process and tried to find why he was so against the idea.

' _You know why, genius.'_  Dean scolded himself,  _'Cas doesn't want to fight his brothers and sisters for human amusement. But that's not what this is, I have to find a way to make him see it.'_ Dean placed a gentle hand on Castiel's shoulder who only glanced up warily. A reassuring smile spread over his features, "Hey, it'll be fine." Dean whispered.

Castiel's eyes narrowed and he pulled away from Dean's touch, "If Sam weren't such a nice boy I'd say I hope you have to fight him someday." Castiel hissed back and stepped away from Dean entirely.

Anna raised an eyebrow at Dean, wondering what he could have done to upset Castiel, an angel she remembered to be fairly mild-mannered and kind. Dean looked about as perplexed as her, telling everyone he had no idea what he did or what to do next.

"Now let's try a simple task, you should have enough concentration to be able to get your angel to fly." Mrs. Milton continued, either oblivious or ignoring the small issue between two of her campers.

"Can't they already fly on their own?" Dean lifted his hand to address a nagging question.

"When you're connected by that bond every action is different, for the bond to be successful the two of you must be in sync and on the same wavelength. If you can't concentrate it won't work, Mr. Winchester." Mrs. Milton explained as politely as she could.

Dean furrowed his brow, "So how is it better to do it this way than to just give them orders?"

"It's faster, more efficient, and they understand what you mean right away. There's no time lost between you thinking of the action, speaking it, and them trying to understand what you want. But it's only better if you can manage to get along." She looked between Castiel and Dean for that last comment; their argument clearly hadn't gotten past her. "If you two can't put aside your differences this task may be too much for you."

"We can do it, right Cas?" Dean huffed, glancing hopefully at his angel.

Castiel stood with his arms crossed and shrugged, "Depends on your mental capacity."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Dean protested.

"It means 'I know how to fly' and if I can't fly with this bond then it's obviously  _your fault._ " Castiel snapped back, his blue eyes icy with a cold stare.

"Boys, boys," Mrs. Milton shuffled forward, "It's not a 'fault' if it doesn't work. It means that you both need to find that connection again."

"It doesn't stay?" Dean turned to look at her questioningly.

"Well of course the connection stays, but it takes practice to be able to do it without thinking. Your focus and concentration at this stage is key, Mr. Winchester. And Castiel, you must be patient and do your utmost to keep him on the right page."

"How is that my job?" Castiel sneered. "He's the one who can't focus. And again, how is that not his fault?"

"Because you aren't keeping him interested, and you're his angel." Mrs. Milton nodded curtly.

"But why is it I have to keep him interested! I don't even want to be here!" Castiel fumed violently, his teeth clenched and hands balled into fists.

Dean closed his eyes and did his best to focus before touching Castiel's arm again. "Hey," he whispered, a voice Castiel could hear deep within him. "It's okay, Cas. You can trust me, all right? I said I'd never hurt you, and I meant it."

Castiel visibly relaxed and nodded, remembering the way Dean had spoken that time and feeling his intent now. "Alright," he spoke calmly, looking firmly into Dean's eyes. "Then let's do this."

Dean smiled, "Right on!"

Mrs. Milton clapped her hands and then ushered them on, "Well go for it! Let's see some flying."

Chuck took a deep breath and looked at Anna seriously, his stance said he knew what he was doing and determination seemed to flow from him. For that brief moment everyone thought he'd do it on the first try.

Everyone was wrong.

Anna didn't even budge from the ground, her wings weren't out, nothing was happening. "Uh, Chuck?" Anna raised an eyebrow agitatedly.

"I got it, I got it." Chuck groaned through grit teeth.

"No you don't." She sighed heavily, "Let's make the bond again and try one more time."

Chuck's arms dropped and his shoulders slumped, "Okay…" he exhaled, defeated.

Dean smirked and looked at Cas, "We can do this, no problem."

Castiel was starting to feel uneasy the more often Dean tried to reassure him. He shrugged it off and nodded confidently, trusting that Dean wouldn't make complete idiots of them.

Moments after, Castiel felt his wings spread out behind him; Dean at least got that much right. He smiled through the stretch of his muscles and spread of his feathers, eyes closed and breath held he knew his command and knew what he had to do. A strong motion of his wings propelled him up; repeated downward thrusts had him airborne.

Castiel's eyes fluttered open and he found himself flying again, "You did it!" He called excitedly, swooping this way and that, feeling the wind rush by his face and through his hair. "I can't believe you did it!"

Dean let out a relieved laugh, "No way! I did it!"

However, just as Dean's attention pulled away from the act of concentration Castiel's wings seized up and he plummeted to the ground. Dean winced as he watched Castiel's crumpled form slowly rise up, shaking his head and stumbling to his feet.

"Close," Mrs. Milton smiled, "You'll have to focus, my dear. You can't just let go like that."

"But he was up," Dean frowned, "What do I do after that?"

Castiel stomped over to Dean's side, eyes narrow and flaming with anger. He grabbed his human's shoulder and spun the man around to face him, "That," he started, exhaling angrily through his nose, "That was wrong. What happened to 'it's no problem'?" He growled.

Dean shrugged, "I didn't think you needed my help after you were up in the air."

"I'm gonna-!" Castiel lurched forward though he was caught by both Anna and Rachel, his hands extended in a strangling motion. "Let me go!"

"Calm down, Castiel." Anna spoke soothingly, feeling her friend seethe in her grip. "He didn't know, you don't need to be angry with him."

"That's stupid!" Castiel burst out again, "If I needed his guidance with this bond to get up in the air, how does it make any sense that he could just let me go free while still bonded to him!"

Dean scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, I didn't think of it." He glanced at Mrs. Milton who smiled and shrugged.

"Of course you didn't think of it," Castiel snorted and pulled away from his sister's, "Well now that you know, you figure you could handle it? Is it still as easy as you thought?" His tone was far from sincere; a sarcastic edge laced his words well.

"Yeah yeah," Dean waved his hand at him, "I get it, I shouldn't take this so lightly."

"Well you have all day to practice." Mrs. Milton smiled again.

"Right," Dean walked over to Castiel and pat him on the shoulder, "I am sorry about that, forgive me?" He turned his usual charming smile on his angel who promptly scowled back.

Castiel looked him up and down for a moment, "Fine," he said reluctantly, "But you'd better not be this stupid if you want to do what I think you do."

Dean nodded, "Of course, I'll do my best."

The next several hours were spent in practice, in fact they spent the rest of the day working on it. Dean wanted to get their bond right, he wanted that closeness and to see the purity his angel held again.

Sleep came quickly to them, when they finally decided to go. Dean flopped into the dirty mattress and curled up, his tired eyes fell closed like solid metal doors and didn't open again until morning.

Castiel crawled in beside him and snuggled into the warmth of his human. They'd spent all day together, connected strongly, in the strongest way possible. Castiel could feel everything Dean felt, see it, taste it, hear it, experience it in every way Dean had. Their memories were linked; their ideas and minds couldn't be closer. Castiel felt it when Dean slipped into slumber, his unconscious mind drifting from their strengthened path. Castiel tried to be closer physically to make up for it but couldn't feel the same things as before.

He placed his ear against his human's chest, listening to the slow beating of Dean's heart, letting it lull him down into the same sleep his owner was in, as close as he could get.

_Castiel stood in a dark hallway, his eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light. He could hear a low rumble, as if there was a lot of noise going on somewhere a fair distance from him. He recognized the sound of his heart pounding in his ears, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through him. Was it excitement? Was it fear?_

_Regardless of what it was, it quickly transformed into fear, a fear of uncertainty and the unknown. Castiel turned around in a panicked motion, his eyes wide and wild. The hallway was so dark, so long and so encompassing. His breathing increased, a cold sweat forming on his skin. The rumble grew louder when a crack of bright light split the darkness in half. Castiel spun around again, finding that the end of the hall was breaking open and he was standing right in front of it._

_The angel shielded his eyes, his hands coming up with a strange weight that he wasn't sure he recognized or understood. The rumble turned into loud cheering, humans, thousands of humans, cheering in unison with one voice echoing above the rest. Castiel understood that this was an announcer; these people were fans. He lowered his arms and looked up, finding that the edge of the hall was actually a door, and it was now wide open._

_The angel stepped out into the brightly lit area, an enormous room spread out before him with an even larger ring in the center. The ring, the fighting space, was only a formality. Even he knew this. Castiel felt his fear settle in full force as soon as he understood where he was. He was entering the battle arena for Angel Battles, heavy shackles pulling down his limbs and thousands of humans watching him walk across the threshold. All of them judging him, seeing him as a pet, an object and thing that gives them their entertainment._

" _No." he whispered hoarsely, "No, no… I don't want to be here. Dean? Dean!" He turned around and found no sign of his human, nowhere to be seen. "DEAN!"_

Castiel sat upright very suddenly, his eyes frantic, and breathing heavily. Dean didn't stir, too exhausted to move. Castiel looked down at him and shook his head, pulling himself from the bed and stumbling out the door. He covered his mouth and leaned against the cabin's outer wall, gasping through his frightened breathing.

"Castiel?" Anna stepped outside and peered around the building, "Castiel, what's wrong?"

"I…" he looked up at her fearfully, "I don't want to do what Dean plans to use me for."

"Angel battles?" Anna crossed her arms and tilted her head knowingly. Her brother's nod brought a smile to her lips, "Cas, it's okay."

His eyes narrowed, "How is it that every angel is so brainwashed by these humans?" His eyes widened further, "The collars?"

Anna shook her head, "No, Castiel. The collars don't do anything like that." She stroked the side of his face gently, "We've grown accustomed to this life, Cas. Our home was destroyed and we needed a place to stay, we owed them something for letting us. It just so happens that this was the price. It's not like we aren't immortal beings, things will change some day."

Castiel frowned and looked away, "How can you say that? What about the angels that have been tortured and used?"

"That happens, Cas," Anna sighed, "It's not like humans haven't suffered that way, or animals. We all have a certain kind of luck, some of us have good, others have bad. That's just life."

"And how can you believe that the battle systems aren't so terrible! They make us-"

"I know, I've been there too." Anna shook her head and glanced back at the cabin, "I used to fight in them and honestly? I enjoyed it."

Castiel's jaw slackened, "Wha… Why?"

"Because it's release. Frustration from being tied down, from being bored and doing nothing but their petty little tasks. Like get the remote, what the fuck is that? Go get it yourself." She flailed her arms to make her point, "But aside from all of that, do you remember back home? When, say, Raphael would pick on you purposefully?"

Castiel's expression hardened, "I know! He wouldn't leave me alone, I don't even know what I did!"

"Well he's in the Angel Battles," Anna smiled, "Situations like yours where fighting their brother would be impossible and unacceptable before, it's perfectly fine and encouraged now."

Castiel's hand came up to protest though his mind stopped him, considering that, "But that doesn't mean we're strong enough, even if I wanted to beat him up I can't."

"That all depends on the bond you have." Anna smirked and headed back inside.

Castiel nodded and looked up again, feeling his stomach settle again and his fear dissipate. Other angels enjoyed the fighting, it wasn't against their will, they wanted to be there. "I'll have to experience for myself to know." He decided and headed back inside, feeling quite a bit better. He slipped back into the bed and paused to take note of something, he'd been sleeping in clothing. A frown crossed his expression and he threw the items off his body into a heap on the floor. Castiel smiled and reveled in his nakedness for a moment before snuggling up to Dean again. Sleep came readily and this time without interruption.


	11. Chapter 11

_Don't fret precious, I'm here…_

The repeated sounds of a pencil tapping the solid surface of the kitchen table were slowly becoming annoying. John glanced up from his morning paper to look over at Sam, his youngest son agitatedly drumming the eraser of his pencil onto the table. His hazel eyes were glued to an article he'd stolen from the newspaper.

"Sam," John sighed, lowering his page to properly speak to his son; normally he'd just shout over the paper but lately Sam had been incredibly difficult. "Could you maybe stop the pencil thing?"

Sam, barely noticing his father had spoken, tossed his portion of the newspaper onto the table in a fit. "What is wrong with people!" He shouted angrily, his brow furrowed and nostrils flaring. "Can you believe this! Those goddamn poachers are getting away with it!"

"Getting away with what, dear?" Mary started setting the table casually, ignoring John's frantic 'don't ask him!' motions.

"Last month Crystal Wings was caught with a bunch of mutilated angels in their lower levels and they're  _getting away with it_!" Sam clenched his fists and snarled at the paper as his mother removed it.

"Crystal Wings, you mean the giant company that produces and distributes all the angel training gear and stuff?" John raised an eyebrow, the name sounded familiar.

"Basically," Sam huffed and ran a hand through his hair, "Even though the activists caught them red-handed, Crystal Wings isn't being forced to trial or anything! They don't even have to pay a fee."

"Well they  _are_  the people who make it possible for us to own these things," John pointed out, "They need to test the gear on something before they let us buy and risk our lives with the beasts."

"Angels, dad." Sam glared up at him, "They aren't 'beasts' or 'things', they're angels. What if Cas was here to hear you say that?"

John shrugged, "He'd have to get over it, he's a pet in my house."

Sam shook with rage before his mother placed a gentle hand on him, "Calm down and eat your breakfast. You two can bicker over this after."

Sam seethed for a moment but nodded at her and poked at his eggs with his fork.  _'I wonder how Dean's doing… He's coming home with Cas tonight, I hope everything went okay.'_  He looked over at the pile of papers Mary had moved from the table and narrowed his eyes,  _'They're hurting more and more angels. Why is this okay? Where the fuck is the justice in this?'_  He flinched at a mental image of the poor beings locked away in the dark. He remembered seeing how frightened Castiel had been the first day, the tears on his face and terror in his voice. Sam had been called a bleeding heart before, many times, but how could he not? They angels were slaves and treated like pets, even objects. Dogs had more rights than angels in this world. How could that be possible? He wasn't sure, all he knew was that the tension between the massive distribution company and the number of activist groups was rising.

_Counting bodies like sheep…._

The day trudged on, homework was finished and studying for exams had rung Sam's mind long enough. He wandered to the living room and found that it was empty; John was out in the garage working on the car rather than watching TV. He took this chance and flopped onto the couch. In moments the TV was on and the channel set to Angelic News, a station that covered all the different angel fields. As he expected they were covering the issue with Crystal Wings, and just like he knew they would, they took the side of the company.

Sam shook his head, everyone was saying things like 'well they need to do the testing' and 'what else are they going to test this on?' "How about let them go?" He growled as he switched the TV off. Another hand running through his shaggy brown hair reminded him he needed a haircut.  _'And what? Look like dad and Dean? No thanks, I'll grow it out.'_ He decided defiantly. His hair currently ended in the middle of his neck, why not let it touch his shoulders? Piss his dad off a little.

He stood again and stretched, what else could he do until Dean came home? The clock on the wall read three in the afternoon, chances were pretty good Dean wouldn't be back until at least seven or eight. Sam sighed and trotted to his room, flipping open his laptop he started reading up on the different activist groups. Why sit at home tapping his pencil on the table and complaining when he could be out there doing something? Sure, he was still four years off from graduation and he was pretty young, but that didn't mean he couldn't do anything at all.

The more Sam read online the more he wanted this to end. There were several articles about Crystal Wings and their mistreating of angels. So many disgusting pictures to be seen, things he'd never dug deep enough to find. Now, with some free time and an itching mind, Sam discovered some of the most disturbing images his young mind had ever been witness to. He never imagined the cruelty that was shown these holy beings, creatures they should be revering and kneeling before. He could never un-see what lay open on his screen and he couldn't stop reading everything he came across. So many different groups fighting the overwhelming company, groups that Sam had never heard of until now.

Hours passed and the light was slowly drifting away. Sam was slumped in his chair, laptop open to a forum set up for activists, his eyes closed and breath coming in calm, shallow waves. Sleep snuck up on the young Winchester though it wasn't unwanted. His mind had been rattled enough with the upcoming exams and numerous problems the world was forcing on itself. Why this was his problem, he couldn't say, but he could feel it. An unsettling, sickening feeling rumbled through his gut every time he heard of someone mistreating an angel. It was built into him, to care for these beings and worry for them.

_Go back to sleep…_

_Sam stumbled along in a daze, his feet trudged down a long path with so many others. His eyes were glazed over and he could barely hear anything over the shuffling sounds of the crowd. Everything seemed fine, normal. This was a normal occurrence. He knew this, or was he being told this?_

_Sam's eyes widened for a moment, his focus returning to him. 'Where am I?'_

_The slow mesmerizing motion of the group and suggestive repetition of words and statements started to lull him back down._

_Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep._

_Sam felt a weight fall over his eyelids as his feet continued their slow shuffle forward with everyone else. A loud shriek nearly shattered his eardrums, it sounded like Castiel's angelic voice piercing him. His eyes attempted to focus again, his conscious mind wrestling with the thought that Castiel might be hurt. Again the repetition of words whispered in his ear started to lull him, the low and heavy pounding pushing his mind back down._

Sam's eyes fluttered open, how long had he been asleep for? The light was gone and his clock read 11:00pm, where was Dean? Where was Castiel? Sam forced himself up out of his chair then had to stop and see what he was really sitting in. Someone had put him back into bed; he was sitting up from under his covers and stumbling out of the bed rather than getting up from his desk chair.  _'I must've been tired…'_  Sam thought as he darted out of his room and toward Dean's. His hand stopped just before gripping the handle of Dean's door, he could hear them talking on the other side.

"I've been thinking," Dean's voice was low, almost a whisper but decidedly loud enough to be heard across the room. Sam couldn't see them but he knew that Dean wouldn't speak so loudly if Castiel were closer.

A light huff came from the angel, much closer to the door, just as Sam had figured. Castiel didn't sound happy though the huff coming from him didn't sound much like anything, really.

"You've made it pretty clear that you don't want to do the whole 'Angel Battle' thing." A shuffling of the sheets and light padding on the floor indicated Dean was crossing his room to Castiel's side. "After this weekend, I… I don't want to hurt you, Cas. Not ever. If we're going to do something I want us to both agree with it."

Sam's eyes widened, what happened at that camp? Dean was… Dean was damn near civil!

"Dean…." Castiel's voice was soft and Sam could swear the way the angel used his brother's name… it lingered. "It's okay, I understand what you're saying and thank you. Really, thank you. But it's okay."

"You mean…?" Dean's excitement was evident though he tried to keep it down.

"Yes, Dean. I will help you achieve your goal, but you have to help me in return." Castiel's tone had hardened with a determination Sam imagined was strongly visible in those blue orbs.

"Of course! What do you need?" Dean's breathing rate increased dramatically since the last time that he spoke, Sam knew his heart rate his gone up considerably. Dean was getting his wish, Sam had to respect Castiel's decision to help but he wasn't sure what the angel was asking for in return. As much as he wanted to pop into the room and welcome them home, Sam was curious as hell.

"You have to help find a way to free my less fortunate brothers and sisters. Many are enslaved painfully, captured and tortured for the sake of entertainment. I'm not asking for you to do this now, but you must help me at some point." Castiel seemed to have found a stronger purpose than freeing himself, a reason for being here.

"Cas," Dean spoke soothingly, "You don't have to ask me that, I'd help you even if you didn't want to do what I wanted to."

"I know…" Castiel whispered, his voice mumbled as if pressed against something, Sam guessed that something was Dean. "But I needed to say it."

Sam listened carefully, he heard the breathing beyond the door increase in rate and desperation, a light moan escaping Castiel though still stifled. Sam shook his head; he didn't want to picture what was happening. He knew that if he didn't do something now then he'd never be able to pretend it never happened, with that in mind Sam pushed the door open, "Dean!" he called excited, as if he just got there and was happy to see his brother.

Castiel, naked and apparently ready for bed, was wrapped in Dean's arms, their faces pulling apart. His full lips were reddened and flushed from the kiss he'd just shared with his human, dilated pupils quickly returning to normal size. "Sam," he exhaled as he spoke, glancing up at Dean to see what he should do next.

Dean smiled and squeezed his angel casually, "Hey Sammy, miss us?"

Sam raised an eyebrow at the two of them, "I'm glad to see you guys are getting along better." He muttered, keeping his gaze away from the beauty that was Castiel.

Dean nodded and ran a hand through Castiel's black hair tenderly, feeling their combined warmth and reveling in it. "We made a bond back at the camp, it's a little shaky but I think we've got the hang of it."

"Well you guys still have like two more weeks of school," Sam pointed out, "After that you can spend all day training I guess." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Originally he was going to bitch Dean out about the Angel Battle thing again but it seemed Castiel had something in mind, no point in butting in now.

"Sammy, did you change your tune on this whole angel business?" Dean prodded his brother teasingly; it was his job after all.

"Of course not, Dean." Sam brushed it off a little too calmly for it to be in his character, "I just don't want to interfere with what you guys have going. I'm still against enslaving angels and I'm going to put a stop to it one way or another."

Dean, for the first time, didn't ignore Sam's statement or mock him for it. Instead he nodded and looked down at the angel he held in his arms, someone who was growing more and more precious to him by the day. "We'll figure something out," He said softly into Castiel's hair.

Castiel smiled and looked up at Dean, his heart skipping excitedly. This was really the first time he'd felt a truly protective sensation from his owner, a sign that there was no reason to lose hope in humanity.


	12. Chapter 12

School ticked by too slowly for Dean's taste. He could feel the distance between himself and his angel and it was killing him. His eyes were half open as he started to yawn deeply into his arms, crossed on the desk in front of him. He was almost done with this place, just a little bit longer and he would be finished with it altogether.

It'd been a week since he and Castiel had gone to that first training session with Mrs. Milton and Rachel. It was Monday again, after a second training weekend and for some reason Dean couldn't push the relationship he had with Castiel any closer than where it was at. They shared a passionate kiss before Sam interrupted that last time, but that was it. Every time he tried now Castiel moved away, Dean couldn't get a good reading off of him either because Castiel started to avoid making the bond with him, he downright rejected it.

" _Alright, make your bonds." Mrs. Milton instructed Friday evening, smiling happy from across the field._

_Dean looked over at Castiel anxiously, his distant little angel looking awkward and standoffish. "Cas?"_

_Castiel glanced at him and quickly turned his head away, "Yes?"_

" _What's wrong?"_

" _Nothing, I just don't… want to be here right now." Castiel's arms were crossed over his chest yet not in their usual defiant way. He was closing himself off from the others, keeping them out._

_Dean looked over at Mrs. Milton for some help but all she could offer was a 'I can't do it for you' smile. Her job wasn't to solve his angel problems for him; it was to teach him how. Dean walked over to her and leaned down to her height, "What do I do?" he asked tensely, "He's been like this all week."_

" _He's taking to the bond slower than others, that's all. He's feeling self-conscious and probably very naked and vulnerable."_

" _He has no problem being naked normally," Dean frowned and glanced back at Castiel who was being approached by Anna and Rachel to check on him._

" _Well he's also new to being trained, Mr. Winchester." Mrs. Milton smiled warmly at him, "Castiel has never been pushed into such a strange thing, he's scared, that's all it is. Just be comforting and patient. He'll come around yet."_

_Dean sighed, "I guess that's all I can do right now." He walked over to Castiel who was insisting he was fine. "Cas," Dean placed a hand on his angel's shoulder._

_Castiel flinched at the touch and followed the hand up the arm to Dean's face, his expression damn near impossible to read. "Now what?" His tone wasn't harsh or loving, neutral was the best way to describe it._

" _I just wanted to tell you it's okay," Dean pulled Castiel closer, his cheek pressed against Dean's chest. "I'll wait until you're ready again, you don't have to force yourself to do anything."_

_Castiel's cheeks flushed red, Dean felt cold compared to the heat coming from his face. He wasn't sure what to say, his heart pounded gently in his chest, every once in a while skipping a beat. "Uhm," he pulled back and looked up awkwardly, "Thank you."_

_Dean smiled and nodded, the red tint on his angel's cute, chipmunk cheeks didn't go unnoticed._

" _Why can' t you be like that?" Anna frowned at her human partner._

_Chuck shrugged, "You're not cutesy like he is."_

" _Why you little- I'm gonna kick your ass!" Anna stalked toward Chuck with a vengeance._

" _WAH! Help!" Chuck squealed, booking it down the field as Anna closed in on him._

The school bell rang and almost made Dean jump out of his skin. "Wha?" He looked up at the clock to find that it read 12:00pm class was over. As the teacher went on about the exams they'd be having that week and part of the next, Dean rubbed his eyes tiredly.  _'Space cadet.'_  He scolded himself jokingly with a yawn.

As he trudged to his locker, the image of Castiel's blushing face came back to him.  _'It'd be fine, waiting for him if he wasn't so stubborn. If I don't push him he won't do anything. He didn't connect our bond once this weekend.'_

Back at the Winchester residence, Mary kept herself busy in the kitchen, cleaning and organizing different things. She was slowly growing used to the fact that she wasn't alone in the house during the day anymore, Castiel was always around though not always in the same room. As she struggled to put something up on top of the cabinets she felt a warm body against hers, a strong arm reaching up and completing the task for her.

"Oh, Castiel," She smiled calmly though she wouldn't dare say she was excited for a moment. All those days day dreaming on the couch with a romance novel were getting to her. "Thank you."

Castiel nodded and stepped away, his gaze shifting awkwardly, "Uh, Mrs. Winchester-"

"Mary, you've been here too long to be calling me 'Mrs. Winchester.'" Mary corrected him warmly.

"Mary, then." Castiel nodded again, his face growing more flushed by the second, "Can I ask you something?"

 

"Of course, Cas. What can I do for you?" She'd grown accustomed to referring to him as 'Cas' as well; something the angel continually paused to ponder every time she said it.

"What does love feel like?"

Mary's mind wandered straight back to her novels, "Well it's definitely a warm feeling inside you, it's when you always want to be together, and when you're not, you're thinking about being together because you need that person; and without them, your life feels incomplete. It's when you trust the other with your life; and when you would do anything for each other. When you love someone, you want nothing more than for them to be really happy- no matter what it takes because their needs come before your own. It's when they're the last thing you think about before you go to sleep- and when they're the first thing you think of when you wake up. Love is giving someone the power to destroy you, and trusting them not to. When they're with you, your heart races. When they touch you, you get butterflies in your stomach. When you kiss, it just takes your breath away. It's when you can't get the smile off your face; and you feel like you've been touched by an- well, an angel."

Castiel shifted and lifted a hand to his reddened cheek, his eyes vacant with thought.  _'Incomplete…'_  He thinks as he feels the differed skip in his chest.

"It's a miracle, Castiel. And when you find it, don't ever let it go." Mary sighed with a smile and touched his chin, angling his face toward hers. "Is this about Dean?"

Castiel's eyes widened for a moment though he couldn't deny it. What else would it be about? "Yes, I suppose it is." He said softly, "Do you think… I can trust him not to hurt me?"

"He hasn't yet, has he? Dean's a good boy, though I guess he's a man now. He'll do anything for you in a heartbeat, even if he isn't strong enough to handle it." Her gaze seemed distant for a moment, "He's just like his father that way."

Castiel smiled, "For all your day dreaming, I bet the men you imagine look a lot like John, don't they?"

She laughed, "You noticed, did you? Yes, they do. I just wish he was less 'apple pie' and more spice." They laughed together, Castiel's mood lifting out of its gloom. Now that he knew what he was feeling he wasn't sure if he should still be afraid, but at the moment he didn't have the energy to keep it up.

"Speaking of," Mary winked at him, "Apple pie happens to be Dean's favourite dessert, how about we make him some?"

Castiel looked up excitedly, his heart pounding hard against his ribs. "Can I do it?"

"Of course, I'll get the cook book and show you how." Mary smiled and went fishing through her recipes.

Four in the afternoon rolled around and Castiel suddenly perked up when he heard Dean's voice coming up the walkway. His heart pounded harder as he booked it to the door, "Dean's here!"

Mary smiled, "Adorable."

Dean rubbed Sam on the head as they reached the front step. "You'll get this tall some day, Sammy." He laughed jokingly.

Sam raised an annoyed eyebrow, fixing his hair, "Whatever Dean, you're just ignoring the fact that I'm taller now than you were at my age."

The door flew open before Dean could respond, Castiel hopped outside and into Dean's arms, knocking his human straight to the ground. "Dean!" He cried excitedly, nuzzling his cheek against Dean's. "Guess what?"

Dean blinked incredulously, "Cas? What's up?" He couldn't help but try to match the energy Castiel was displaying.

The angel lifted his head with a proud smile, a sparkle in his eyes that Dean hadn't ever seen before. Castiel looked like he felt like he belonged, like he was home. "I made you something, come see."

"Oh, okay- whoa!" Dean was deftly taken by the arm and dragged into the house. Sam raised an eyebrow and followed suit, his hand running through his shaggy brown hair tiredly. Dean stumbled into the kitchen with Castiel, struggling to stay on his feet.

"Here," Castiel lifted up the pie pan for Dean to see, offering it to him. Dean stared down at it; at first he couldn't tell what it was, it looked  _awful_.

"Uh, thanks… Cas." He paused as he took it from his angel. Dean's brow furrowed for a moment, glancing up at Castiel he could see that this meant a lot to him. "Got a fork?" Dean smiled, even if he didn't know what it was he knew his mother wouldn't let him eat something that would kill him. Why insult Castiel when that could only end badly?

Castiel beamed and handed him the needed utensils as Dean sat down at the table. Dean's hazel eyes shifted over to Mary who only smiled at him, a good sign. He took a slow breath and dug in, the fork went straight into his mouth without hesitation, avoiding pissing Castiel off at all. His angel was in an amazing mood and Dean wanted to stay far away from ruining it.

Dean's eyes popped open when the flavor hit his taste buds, "Oh my god…" he looked up at Castiel in shock, "You…"

Castiel blinked nervously, anxious to know how it turned out. "Yes?" He swallowed.

"You are  _amazing_!" Dean exclaimed and continued to eat, "I've never had such good pie!"

Mary smiled and pat Castiel's shoulder, "See? Told you."

The angel clapped his hands excitedly and threw his arms around her, "Thank you!" He then went to Dean's side and hugged him as well, his cheek nuzzling Dean's again, their stubble creating more friction and scratching slightly. "I'm glad you like it. I'm sorry it isn't… pretty to look at."

"Taste is more important," Dean spoke with pie in his mouth, almost too busy eating to hug back. "It's awesome Cas, thank you."

That evening was spent just lazing about, Dean not wanting to disturb Castiel's mood and Castiel not wanting to do anything other than sit with Dean. They sat together on the couch for a few hours before Dean sighed and started pulling himself up, "Come on, Cas. Let's head to bed."

Castiel looked up and nodded, his expression slipping to a more self-conscious look.  _'I have to tell him…'_

Dean closed the door to his room behind him, his eyes shifting up to Castiel's flushed face. The angel wandered to the bed and slowly sat down; the grace he displayed was more than Dean had seen from him in a while. The elegance that Castiel carried with him was befitting of an angel, a beautiful being that should never have been dragged down the way he had been.

"Dean," Castiel's voice was low, the blue in his eyes appearing more and more intense every time Dean saw them. "I have to tell you something."

Dean approached his angel carefully; sitting next to him on the mattress they'd slept together in several nights already. "Alright, I'm listening."

Castiel swallowed and took a slow breath, "I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. I'm sure you noticed how I've been acting."

Dean nodded silently, letting Castiel continue without interruption.

"I wanted to say it was nothing against you, I was just scared of… Well, what we might be." Castiel leaned over and took Dean's hand gently, "I didn't know what I was feeling but I think I do now." He looked into his human's eyes and for the first time there was nothing but trust there, all doubt had vanished and he knew Dean was meant for him. "I love you, Dean."

Dean's expression didn't shift or alter; instead he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Castiel's. "I love you too," He whispered, pulling away enough to move his lips though they still brushed against his angel's.

Castiel's half-lidded expression gave away his lustful feelings, his eyes darkened with dilated pupils, and his breathing coming in shallower breaths. "I'm ready, Dean." Castiel whispered.

Dean smiled and pulled Castiel into a close embrace, "Then what are we waiting for?"


	13. Chapter 13

Clothing discarded and forgotten on the floor, Castiel laid back in the soft sheets with his legs spread open for his partner. Dean eyed the angel lying below him carefully, his gaze trailing down from those vibrant blue eyes to the soft, defined lips that parted ever so delicately for him. Castiel's chest rose and fell gently though Dean could see the anticipation lurking in his angel's vision. Castiel's tongue, pink, wet, and thick, slipped out and dampened his lips thoughtless of what he was doing to Dean.

Dean crawled over top Castiel, his waist resting between his partner's legs, taking in the warm feeling of Castiel's groin touching his skin. Dean's mouth met Castiel's in a passionate and encompassing motion, tasting every little crevice and fighting off the same tongue that peered out at him before.

Castiel's arms came up and around Dean's torso, fingers clinging to the strong flesh there and holding the human close. He moaned into the kiss and for the first time in a long time he let himself forget, the only things that existed now were Dean and himself. The only things that mattered were the hot touch of skin on skin and the rushing desire in their hearts. Castiel sighed and groaned, his hips pushing up to increase the contact between their nether regions.

While Castiel's movement was a good indication of what he wanted, Dean found that the hardening erection Castiel displayed was far more convincing. He smiled and pressed his hips down, grinding his dick against his angel's, finding he thoroughly enjoyed the sounds it brought up. He kissed Castiel's neck, sucking on the sensitive skin, listening to the quick, desperate gasps his angel produced.

Castiel's cheeks were tinted a bright red, his mouth unable to close as he moaned and whimpered against the much desired touch and friction. It was a beautiful sight, Dean couldn't deny that. Everything about this beautiful creature squirming and gasping beneath him was perfect, writhing and bucking those slender hips just enough to graze a sensitive and needy part of his dick but not enough to give any real satisfaction. Castiel whined, frustrated that he couldn't get the relieving touch he wanted yet he enjoyed Dean's teasing.

"Can't make up your mind?" Dean whispered softly, trailing kisses down past the reddening hickey blooming on the nape of Castiel's neck.

Blue eyes snapped up at him and Castiel flipped Dean into the bed, his erection hard and curving up toward his stomach despite gravity, his arms pinning Dean to the bed easily. Beautiful white wings spread behind him, stretching and flexing to a dominating and imposing position. "If you'd just let me…" Castiel growled, swinging a leg between Dean's and pressing himself down on Dean's leg between his own. That tough, over-powering expression Castiel had just displayed vanished as quickly as it had arrived. He whimpered loudly, his limbs quivering as he continued to hump his master.

Dean was a little surprised at how easily Castiel was satisfied,  _'I suppose he's never done this before, first instinct is to hump until it feels better. I'd better show him how it's done._ ' He decided with a smirk, a hand coming up and absently brushing the softest feathers on Castiel's back.

His angel whined louder and crumpled down on top of him, hips moving furiously. Dean's first guess was that Castiel really enjoyed the friction but soon reconsidered that thought. His fingers trailing through the fluffy, silky plumage did more for Castiel than press his knee up into the angel's groin for better access. Dean rubbed Castiel's back experimentally, pressing a little harder and fidgeting with the feathers a little more. A bright smile came to his face as he watched Castiel squirm, completely helpless as he desperately humped and thrust his stiffened cock against Dean.

A warm, wet trail down his leg told him how close Castiel was. Dean slowed his fingers and just brushed the feathery layer lightly, watching those massive wings shudder and twitch, and feeling the desperation in his partner. Dean carefully turned Castiel over, only now realizing how hard he'd become just watching and witnessing the animalistic intent of his angel. He repositioned Castiel's wings so as not to crush them or dislocate them; taking in the gorgeous and adorable sounds and squeaks the prideful being made for him. Castiel's eyes slowly opened, he seemed almost confused as to when he closed them.

"Dean?" He gasped weakly, his hips still twitching up despite there being nothing between his legs to give him any friction. "Why'd you stop?"

"I didn't," Dean smiled, taking in the sight of his angel completely undone and at his mercy. Castiel's legs trembled, his wings flush behind him, cheeks reddened, his eyes desperate and pleading, and his cock erect and leaking. Dean didn't want to forget the first time he'd ever see this, Castiel was fully his and god damn was he beautiful. Dean lowered himself between Castiel's spread legs and paused for a moment to take in the scent of his angel. He never guessed he'd like the smell of another male's crotch but Castiel's was almost fragrant, damn near heavenly.

Castiel whined and whimpered as he felt the tickle of the air exhaled through Dean's nose, it was cold on his wet tip and pleasurable but not enough to help him much. "Deann…" he whined again, bucking his hips up a little in hopes he'd catch Dean's face. He caught more than that, Dean opened his mouth and took in as much of Castiel's cock as he could. The angel cried out and pressed his shoulder blades into the sheets, arching his back and curling his toes. The warmth and pressure of Dean's mouth was sending shivers throughout his body and tingling sensations in their wake.

Dean worked his mouth muscles to the best of his abilities, he'd never sucked a guy off before but Castiel was new to all of it so it didn't seem to make that big of a difference. His tongue slid up and down the throbbing vein his Castiel's shaft, trailing up to the tip and lapping up the secreted lust, surprised to find he enjoyed the taste of it.

Luckily he did because there was a lot more where that came from. Castiel let out a sharp shriek as he released into Dean's mouth, his body shuddering into his orgasm very suddenly and it was enough to spook him and cause him shout like he had. His arms thrashed and grasped at things, he was unsure as to what he was to do with them and he was barely aware he was moving them at all. His legs stiffened and closed on Dean a little, shaking and pressing against the man's shoulders.

Dean eased Castiel down from his ecstatic state, coaxing out the last of the cum and swallowing it with the rest. He lifted his head, lips reddened, eyes fixed on Castiel's glistening, softened cock then shifting up to see the blissful expression on his angel's face. Smiling, Dean crawled up and pet Castiel's hair gently, "How do you feel?"

Castiel slowly and lazily opened his eyes, a shy smiling coming to his lips, not allowing the blush to leave his cheeks. "Amazing, thank you." He whispered softly, taking a moment to catch his breath. He glanced at Dean's groin and his smile widened, just by doing what he did for Castiel Dean was rock hard and there was already a few beads of pre-cum forming at the tip. "I'm… not terribly skilled in this but I will try," Castiel sat up and started to push Dean down again.

Dean's heart beat a little faster, seeing Castiel down between his legs and inspecting what he was about to put into his mouth. His angel's tongue wet those plump, full lips before going down on him. Dean gasped and sighed happily when he felt the heat of Castiel's mouth around his swollen cock, that seductive tongue tracing his flesh and exploring the tastes. Castiel's hands came up, one resting on Dean's thigh to brace him and the other stroking what he couldn't fit into his mouth.

Dean had received oral sex before, high school and hormones wouldn't have it any other way. However the way Castiel did it, taking care to mentally note every little detail about Dean's physical form, the way his mind fluctuated and the motion of his body, Dean would have to say that Castiel was the best to ever suck on him. Hands down. His angel explored, learned, and experimented until Dean was right at the edge.

Castiel quickened his pace but was surprised when Dean pushed him back, flushed red and swollen lips popped off Dean's cock, his tongue wet and mouth salivating with the thought of tasting Dean's release. He looked up, perturbed. Though he didn't have much time to ask, Dean sat up and kissed him feverishly, their mouths exchanging the bitter sweet taste of the other. Castiel allowed Dean to turn him over, his face down toward the pillows and his ass propped up and exposed. He remembered the last time they'd tried this, his heart beat excessively and pounded into his eardrums. Last time he was afraid but now he was excited, he wanted to feel Dean inside him and he wanted to make them one, as close as they could get in physical form.

Dean reached down and started roughing up Castiel's wings, the sensitive area at the base where all the nerves were located. His angel gasped and bucked, knees almost crumpling again. Dean reached down and found that Castiel had hardened almost instantly, blood rushing to the angel's cock, urgent and swift. "That's my angel," Dean whispered with a smile, slapping the soft flesh of Castiel's ass. Castiel squeaked and moaned from his master's words, finding that he enjoyed being spoken to that way, at least in this situation.

Fumbling and finding a condom and some lube in his drawer, Dean froze when Castiel leaned back and caught his arm. "Just the lubrication is fine," he whispered raggedly, "I don't want anything between us."

Dean blushed but nodded, tossing the condom back where he'd found it. He coated his dick in the lube; more was better for a first time. He looked down at Castiel, his angel eagerly awaiting the act; his ass propped up and open to Dean. With a lubricated finger, Dean started to circle the once unyielding entrance into his angel. Castiel moaned and cooed as his master's finger slowly deepened inside him, lightly hissing when a second was added but quickly growing accustomed to it.

As Dean traced and prodded, slowly moving his fingers in and out, he was almost mesmerized by the gentle sway of Castiel's body, how willing he was to do this. Part of Dean thought he should have Castiel facing him the first time, but he'd looked up somewhere that it was less painful and much easier the first time to have your partner face down, ass up with a lot of lube. "You ready?"

Castiel nodded loosely, still groaning from the pressure of Dean's fingers. Dean pushed in slowly, gently, paying attention to Castiel's body language and the little noises he made. Fully inside his angel, Dean shifted his hips and pressed in a little further, a very calm thrust. Castiel whimpered and wriggled, Dean thought he was already being too rough but he was proven wrong when Castiel bucked backward.

"Harder!" his angel demanded, bucking back again and slamming Dean further inside him.

Dean cooperated immediately, he thought Castiel would need it slow and gentle but the fact that he was fucking an angel eluded him a little bit. Castiel was a very powerful being and it would take a lot to hurt him.

Castiel screamed in ecstasy as Dean pounded his ass harder and harder, Dean's hand coming down and gripping Castiel's dripping cock again. They moved together, Dean was so close and he knew it but he wanted this to feel right. He stopped and pulled out, spinning an increasingly frustrated Castiel over and slamming into him again. He wanted to see Castiel's face, watch those gorgeous expressions contort and change his angel's appearance.

It didn't take much more than that; Castiel sprayed his release over both of them, his anal muscles tightening beautifully on Dean's dick until he couldn't take it anymore, filling Castiel to the brim. The angel clung to Dean, his fingers digging in and marking Dean's skin until they both rode out the orgasms in a blissful and messy state.

Castiel slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Dean's peaceful expression, his human collapsed on top of him and resting. Castiel smiled and wriggled Dean out of him, letting the fluids drip down his backside and comfortably enjoying it. They had lain there for several minutes without moving and now Dean was sleeping, Castiel couldn't help but find that slightly adorable. He pulled the covers over their naked bodies and curled up with Dean, a human he was finding that, more and more, mattered to him above a lot of other, previously important, things. Dean was someone he was willing to stay with, willing to give control to and command him. Castiel sighed lightly and smiled, he was going to be okay.


	14. Chapter 14

Research, research and more research. It'd been a while since Dean had done so much and to be perfectly honest? He hated it. After years and years of looking things up and being a huge fan of the Angel Battles, Dean thought he knew everything. He'd seen fliers around numerous times, seen sign up sheets all over the place for people with angels. So now that he'd filled a bunch of them out and had a ton of fliers with him, he didn't understand what he was supposed to do with them and how he was actually going to end up in the Angel Battle Arena.

"What the hell!" Dean shouted, enraged by the whole thing. "Why won't anyone answer me!"

"Maybe it's because you and Cas aren't known yet," Sam grumbled, glaring up from his cheerios that morning. "Or it's a sign."

"No, there are no signs." Castiel said solemnly, "There is no one to give them anymore." He looked up at Dean, tilting his head curiously, "Why not ask Mrs. Milton? We've only done a few weeks of training, it's not over yet."

Sam furrowed his brow and looked at his brother disapprovingly, "You aren't even done training yet and you've already signed up for this stuff!"

Dean shrugged, "Figured I'd better get a leg up on it," he looked over at Castiel, standing across the room with his arms firmly placed over his chest. "Cas doesn't seem to mind."

"That's 'cuz you brain washed him." Sam countered, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

Castiel smirked and leaned over Sam casually, "Dean did no such thing, Sam. I made this decision on my own." He spoke smoothly, his voice low and oddly soothing.

Sam fought the faint blush darkening his cheeks before looking up into those gorgeous blue eyes, "What do you mean? Why would you want to do this on purpose?"

"It's a sort of trade, he helps me if I help him." Castiel explained, moving around the table to Dean's side, a hand gently sliding over his master's shoulder, "That and I've been told by other angels it isn't so bad. I want to know what my family has been through, so I can better connect with them and help them later on. It sounds silly but if I have to do as Dean wishes anyway, I might as well make the most of it."

"You're settling for listening to Dean?" Sam spat angrily.

"No, Sam. I'm choosing to listen. Yes, it is inevitable that I will have to listen to him, however he hasn't forced me to do anything. Dean isn't going to make me do anything so I've made my own choice." Castiel sat down next to Dean, across from Sam but not taking his eyes off the younger Winchester.

Sam glanced at Dean who remained oddly quiet, he sighed and nodded, "Alright Cas, if you think it's a good idea. Just don't be afraid to back out of it."

The angel nodded, "Of course, Sam."

The three were startled when the phone rang, Dean darted to it like a jackrabbit and, after fumbling the phone, he answered. "Hello? … Yes this is Dean Winchester … … Oh my god no way …"

Sam and Castiel exchanged nervous glances as Dean started to jump for joy, "What do you think the odds are he got a normal job and he's this happy about it." Sam muttered.

Castiel shook his head with a smirk, "Not likely. That's his 'I finally got what I wanted' jig, I'm pretty sure."

Dean put the phone down and looked at Castiel excitedly, "We're going to be in an arena! Our first fight!" He threw his arms in the air then around Castiel's shoulders, kissing him fervently.

Castiel pushed at him weakly, not really trying. "Okay, okay," he chuckled, "Where and when?"

Dean grinned madly, "We gotta jump a state over, we're joining a battle for Saturday afternoon."

"Where exactly?" Sam looked up, trying to figure out mentally when Dean would have to leave.

"Denver," Dean smiled.

"You're lucky that you only have to take the 70 straight there, but you'd better get going Dean." Sam hopped up, "You don't have a ton of time." Sam was eager for Dean to go, he wanted his brother to see as soon as possible what these fights would do to Castiel, to all angels. It was different than watching it on TV, or at least Sam hoped it would be for Dean.

"We could fly-"

"No," Dean interrupted Castiel before he could fully finish his sentence. "We're driving, that's that."

Castiel pouted and nodded, "Better pack your things then," he glared out at the car, not looking forward to another road trip. They were so slow; things could be so much more efficient if Dean wasn't a fraidy cat.

Dean nodded and bolted up the stairs, leaving the two less excited individuals to talk amongst themselves. Castiel sighed and looked at Sam, "We haven't even finished training yet, I'm not sure this will go well."

Sam nodded and stood up from the kitchen table, "I don't think it'll go well at all, Cas. Whether you have training or not, Dean's deluded and he's going to keep going until you get hurt. That's why I'm telling you to stop when you need to stop."

Castiel watched Sam carefully, part of him believed the same, another part… a new part of him believed in Dean. Even if Dean was deluded and naïve, even if he didn't understand what really happened to people out there… Dean needed to see it, and Castiel trusted his owner more now than he ever did. "Dean will do the right thing," he said plainly, "Our connection is strong enough that he'll feel when I need to stop, I think anyway. We haven't completed training so that's where I get worried."

Sam couldn't really believe what he was hearing, an angel bound to Dean by force trusted him more than Sam did. Either that or Sam knew his brother better. "Have it your way Cas, but I'm not gonna let this go on any longer than it has to."

Castiel nodded and smiled, "I trust that you won't, Sam. I appreciate the help, I do."

A smile came to Sam again and he gave a quick nod to Castiel in return, "You're welcome." He'd met up with those anti-establishment types a few times already. An uprising was on the horizon; he could see it. It may not be in the future for this year but he could see it would be in his lifetime.

_Hours later…_

Dean nudged Castiel urgently, pulling him from his deep slumber and causing a short moment of panic. "What what!" He cried, sitting up and nearly cracking his head against the ceiling.

"We're here." Dean smiled, petting his angel's head lovingly.

Castiel stared up at the Denver arena, a coliseum built for the Angel Battles. He swallowed nervously and glanced over at Dean's excited expression. "I'm scared, Dean." He said plainly, seeing no point in hiding it.

Dean paused for a moment and nodded, "Cas… I promise you it'll be okay."

"You can't promise that, Dean. We have no idea what angels will be here." Castiel protested anxiously, "Do you even know which Battle this is? Or anything about it?"

"Not exactly, but we'll figure it out." Dean didn't want to admit that since he'd gotten Castiel he hadn't been paying that close attention to his ultimate goal. Last he'd checked, about a month or two ago, a massive number of battles were being held leading up to the World Tournament. The winners would move on to the bigger battles, and so on. He'd been attempting to get into  _any_  fight so he'd lost track of which ones were part of the huge circuit and which were just little ones, just for practice and fun.

Castiel shook his head and started walking away from the car, "You know these things never end well, especially when you say 'we'll figure it out'."

Dean waved a hand at him, "Pssh. That's not true."

"Oh yeah? Tell me again, what happened during training when we first tried to 'fight' Anna and Chuck?" Castiel sneered playfully.

"Hey it turned out okay," Dean frowned, not liking the memory.

"Uh huh, they kicked our asses." Castiel raised an eyebrow, "You were too excited and lost focus… Again. Dean you have to make sure you pay attention or-"

"I know, Cas. I fixed it afterward, didn't I? Besides, Mrs. Milton's training wasn't dedicated to the fighting aspect, it was just basics for first time owners." Dean led them to the hotel they'd be staying in, if they won the first match then they'd be staying and fighting the subsequent ones. However there was always a chance they'd lose horribly and go home right after. He was hoping that wasn't going to be the case, not because he wanted to fight but because he didn't want to get hurt that badly.

The two checked into the hotel that was set up right next to the arena, the one they were assigned and would stay in until the rest of their fights. Castiel fidgeted and dropped into the bed, still fully clothed. "We have some time, sleep is a good idea." He muttered to no one in particular.

"Good idea, except you sleep better naked." Dean went to his angel's side and slowly started to remove the material, jacket and shirt went first. "Calm down, Cas. You'll be fine."

Castiel furrowed his brow as he watched his skin come into view, piece by piece. Dean carefully removed the lower garments; he didn't want to agitate his partner before getting to see him in the nude again. "What if someone attacks?" Castiel whispered.

"You were naked all the time, I don't see why you'd have any issues fighting-"

"Not that, dork." Castiel scolded him, smacking the side of his head lightly. "I mean what if someone cheats while we're sleeping and tries to kill us?"

"No one's ever done that in the Angel Battles, Cas." Dean reassured him calmly, "You'll be fine, and so will I. Just rest and I'll see you in a few hours."

Castiel sighed and wriggled against the unfamiliar sheets, not certain if he liked or hated the slightly scratchy material underneath. Dean's arms came around him within seconds and pulled him down into a strong and warm embrace. Castiel exhaled gently through his nose and snuggled closer, his cheek pressed against Dean's comfortably.

"Shhh…" Dean pet Castiel's head, his fingers trailing down that long, slender neck. Castiel shuddered and moaned quietly from the touch.

The two drifted off into a calm sleep, their minds preparing for the next day; their first real fight.

* * *

Still only fourteen years old, almost fifteen, Sam Winchester ran down the street in the dark of the night. A ski mask in hand, all black clothing, gloves included. Sam bolted to the meet up place, bunches of people in Lawrence were ready to stand up for angel rights and he was finally going to meet them. He arrived at the park where several people came out of hiding, they looked a little nervous and all eyes were on him. Sam knew that no one in his town had done anything to help the cause, not yet anyway. He was the first person to assemble them but he didn't realize that they were so unprepared to lead on this.

Even though many of the individuals in front of him were adults, everyone still looked to him to start the whole thing. "Uh, hi everyone." Sam spoke softly, walking to the center of the group and waving them in a little closer. "I'm Sam, I brought you all here tonight so we can cover something important."

He saw that they all came as prepared as himself, masks and gloves and dark clothing. There was one major 'angel accessory' store in town and Sam didn't plan on letting that thing go unpunished. He was sick of everything he'd seen and heard until now, the least he could do was put his words into action.

"We're going to start small tonight but that doesn't mean we're going to stay there. 'Angles on Angels' opened up its own store last year and their business is growing rapidly. Everyone wants in on this angel deal and every time someone buys something angel related it tells the bigwigs up there that we want more. So they make more, which means more testing and more torture." Sam pulled up a wad of images he'd stuffed into his shirt and handed them out.

Each page had a single image on it, each one a different angel in a different form of torture. "I won't let them think that's what we all want, at least not in Lawrence."

Looks of disgust passed through the groups and they all lifted their heads with a new determination. "Ready when you are, Sam." This was the response he got.

"Good, now let's go take that place down a peg." Sam smiled and pulled his ski mask on, running back to the street, only a few blocks away from their destination.

"Hey Sam!" A female voice called to him from the crowd, someone he recognized to be Jess from his class. "What do you plan on calling your activist group?"

Sam paused and looked at the handful of people, "My group?"

"Well yeah, you brought us together so it's your group. What do you plan on calling us?" She walked up to his side and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sam scratched the back of his head for a moment and shrugged, "Hadn't thought about it, anyone have an idea?"

"Make it obvious," Someone else spoke up casually, "Freedom Fighters."

A few nods from the others was enough for Sam, "Alright, works with me. Freedom Fighters, move out."


	15. Chapter 15

_The ringing of a bell sounded louder and louder, he could feel his heart pounding with the beat of a heavy drum and the chanting of thousands of voices. Castiel swallowed anxiously as he stood in front of a door, an excessively massive door made as if angels truly were the size of Chrysler buildings. A deep breath taken, followed by several others. Castiel couldn't seem to get a hold of his nervous mind, and he didn't have time to._

_The doors flew open with an unnatural speed for their size; a terrible light blinded him for a moment before his eyes could adjust. Thousands of people in the stands cheering and screaming, jeering and mocking, all of them looking down at him. He stepped out over the threshold and into the depth of the arena, the ceilings were high and the useless fighting ring was several yards ahead of him. As he walked he could feel a cold breeze on his skin, his clothing gone and his wings in shackles._

_For the first time he felt shame from his naked form, shame and severe discomfort. All of those eyes were on him, and normally that wouldn't bother him except he knew how their minds worked. He knew how they saw his nakedness and he didn't like it. That perversion and ugly feeling of them looking him up and down, at places that belonged to him, that belonged to Dean. "Don't look at me!" He shouted, his wings as heavy as lead with their bondage holding him down._

_The chanting of the crowd only increased as he was thrown into the ring, landing on his face at the bare feet of another. Frightened blue eyes stared up at the owner and he froze, the face of his old friend Balthazar came into view. "No… I can't fight you, not you."_

_Balthazar's smile twisted into a sick grin, the collar he wore shone with an ugly light as he reached for Castiel._

"NO!" Castiel sat upright and stumbled out of bed, his knees hitting the floor with a loud smack. He gasped and felt himself, finding he was indeed naked but he was in the hotel room, they hadn't yet stepped into the Denver arena.

"Cas?" Dean crawled up from his position on the bed, leaning over and placing a warm hand on his angel's trembling shoulder, "You okay?"

"Nightmare," Castiel wheezed, turning around and nearly climbing into a hug. He accepted and absorbed the warmth of Dean's embrace willingly; he loved the feel of his human's arms around him, especially when he felt so afraid. He just had to keep telling himself what Dean would do for him in return, and what Anna had said about the battles. He would be perfectly fine. … As long as he never ran into Balthazar in the arena.

"Come on, we should get ready." Dean whispered, kissing the top of Castiel's head.

Castiel nodded and slowly lifted himself from the floor, going straight for his pants. Dean slapped his ass playfully, "That's odd of you."

"Bad dream," Castiel repeated indignantly, though the blush on his cheeks betrayed his annoyance. He turned and kissed Dean fervently, "I love you."

Dean smiled and took his angel in his arms, a tight hug held their bodies flush together, "I love you too Cas. And I haven't forgotten why you agreed to do this, I'll show you it isn't so bad."

Castiel sighed lightly and nodded, resting his head on Dean's shoulder.

Entering the Denver Arena was simple; standing in line at the registration desk was a little more challenging. Dean was eager to get going, he hadn't expected such a long line. "Come ONNNN!" He groaned, peering around the twenty some people to the small desk down the hall.

"Calm down, Dean. Remember, these people are pairs, there aren't nearly as many here when you think of it that way." Castiel said casually, eyeing ten or so angels he could see. He recognized them but none had ever been particularly close, he figured he could get away with today no problem.

"I know! But still… Look at how many there are, I wonder how strong they'll be?" Dean rubbed his hands together, "Someone else dropped out of this thing, that's how we got the spot." He looked at Castiel with a smirk, "Lucky break, eh?"

"Yeah… Lucky." Castiel looked at their competition again, this time inspecting whether or not he could remember how strong they had been back home.  _'I suppose the bonds they've made come into play as well… It doesn't matter how strong the angel is if they don't get along…'_  Castiel's thoughts came to a crashing halt when he spotted Jophiel, an archangel. "Oh shit…" he thought aloud, his bitterness catching Dean's ear.

"What?"

"That's Jophiel, he's an archangel of the arts, he used to fight alongside Michael, and led different choirs in heaven. He's a powerful opponent, why would he be in such a small place?" Castiel looked around, his eye catching different symbols and several advertising banners. "Dean… What tournament is this?"

"What do you mean 'the arts'?" Dean muttered as he shrugged and looked up at what Castiel saw, his jaw nearly dropping. Several weeks back, before he had Castiel, he'd been gawking over a new tournament that his favourite angel team had been fighting in. It was the start of a new world tournament; the biggest competitors had started out in Europe already and had gone through all of the major cities out there. They headed to the United States next, meaning this tournament was weeding out the small fry to see who would compete for World Champ.

Castiel glanced at Dean again and waved a hand in front of his master's face, "Dean?"

"We're competing in the World Tournament," Dean breathed in disbelief. "What is this, I don't even…"

"What?" Castiel tilted his head curiously.

"Nothing," Dean stuttered and looked up at the much-shortened line. It dawned on him now that the competition they'd be meeting here would not be conducive to a learning environment; it had now become a crash-course in the Angel Battle League. "Cas buckle up, things are gonna get rough."

Castiel snorted and looked at Dean with a raised eyebrow, "You think!" He snapped agitatedly.

"Names." The woman behind the table called to them, not even looking up from her book of names.

"Uh… Dean Winchester, this is Castiel." Dean stammered out, pointing over at Castiel awkwardly. His angel smacked his hand back down.

"Right," The woman looked them up and down for a second, "Good luck boys."

They nodded and walked down the hall with a sheet of paper in hand. Dean looked it over and sighed nervously, "Looks like we're first, Cas."

Castiel shook his head, "Of course we are, who are our opponents?" He knew he didn't really have to ask, his luck was fairly poor up until this point and there was nothing stopping it from being much worse.

"Ash and Jophiel…" Dean muttered, "Damn it, that's not good. Ash is a genius!"

"And Jophiel is an archangel. We're totally screwed, Dean. And if we aren't screwed and happen to win, we have to fight again. And if that goes well then we end up jumping headlong into a World Tournament! What the hell do we do now!" Castiel ran his hands up through his hair and then back down his face, dragging his cheeks down with them.

"We do the best we can," Dean suddenly sounded like he knew exactly what he was up to, "Besides, if we win the first fight we have a little bit of leniency. When the big fights start happening it's not 'you lose one and you're out', you're granted a few screw-ups here and there. As long as you've won more fights than the other guy by the end of it you pass."

His human's sudden confidence was surprisingly not helpful for Castiel, his fidgeting had come back and his palms were sweaty. "I don't know Dean…" He furrowed his brow, "Jophiel's a strong opponent on a good day, this won't be easy."

"We aren't here for easy, Cas. Come on," Dean gripped his friend's shoulder firmly and stared into those blue depths, "Trust me, we can do this."

Castiel hesitated but nodded,  _'That's what you said about flying the first time…'_  He thought back to training, the way he'd face planted into the field. "You'd better focus this time…"

"Enough with the focus! I get it already, sheesh." Dean threw his hands into the air in defeat, "Now let's get to the dressing room, apparently we have gear to wear."

Castiel rolled his eyes and strolled down the long hallway beside Dean, "Of course we play dress up, why not…" He was glad that he could at least wear clothing, however.

Castiel's expression fell even further when he saw it, instead of getting all fancy with armor and crazy things like that, the angels had been given plain white clothing. Loose pants and flowing shirts with button-up collars. No shoes required/allowed, and long slits had been made in the back of the shirts for their wings. "Really?" Castiel raised an eyebrow, "Just white? That's the best they got?"

"It's simple, easy to move in, and you guys usually end up tearing each other's clothes anyway so it saves money." Dean smiled, "I like it, actually. It kinda shows your natural beauty this way."

Castiel blushed and looked back down at his new uniform, or at least for now. "I suppose… But it's still pretty stupid."

"Whatever you say," Dean looked at his locker, finding it empty. "I don't even get an outfit!" He burst out in protest, "Not fair!"

"Trade you." Castiel grumbled as he pulled the cottony shirt over his head disdainfully. He looked himself over, a short-sleeved shirt that was loose and breezy on top of actually very similar and comfy pants. He didn't look too bad, despite the fact that, standing still, he didn't have much of a figure.  _'I guess it'll flow enough to show everything off when I'm flying around the arena.'_  He thought.

"You look awesome, let's go!" Dean took his angel's hand and headed to the doors leading to their entry point. A guard put his hand up to stop them just before they reached the large doors at the end of the hall. Dean was about to question why they'd been pulled over when the guy spoke up.

"Your angel has to wear a certified collar," he lifted one up for Dean to put on Castiel, who was glaring dangerously.

Dean took it and looked at his angel apologetically, "This is stupid, my collar works just fine." He looked at the guard, "Why can't he just wear that one?"

"He can't take that one off, however this one is much stronger and protects your original collar in case of damage. Wouldn't want to lose control over your angel." The guard explained with a grin.

"Heaven forbid…" Castiel snarled but lifted his jaw obediently for Dean to place the collar on him. Once it was in place they attempted to move on when the guard put another arm in their way. "What now!" Castiel snapped.

"Your angel's wings have to be displayed." The guard distinctly ignored speaking to Castiel, as if the angel were nothing more than a stupid animal.

Dean furrowed his brow then looked at Castiel, he remembered seeing every angel come out to the Battle ring with their wings out and displayed proudly.  _'I hadn't thought about it… Guess that's a rule of some sort.'_

Castiel did as was expected of him though he did so spitefully. His wings spread violently, a swift movement that ended up whipping the guard in the face. Castiel smiled proudly and continued down the hall. The guard turned an angry stare on Dean who only shrugged, "Guess you should've been more specific with that rule." He quickly trotted after Castiel's prideful strut before the guard could come up with anything else that would piss his angel off.

Castiel stood facing the large doors from his dream, though this time they weren't quite as enormous as he'd made them out to be. And Dean was by his side, a much stronger comfort than he'd previously thought possible. "Dean…" he whispered quietly, he could hear the cheering and thunderous voices on the other side of that door.

Dean took Castiel's hand and pulled him into a kiss, "You're strong, Cas. I know you can do this."

Big blue eyes fluttered back and forth between Dean's hazel ones, he swallowed his fears and nodded.

* * *

It had been several hours since their little raid on 'Angles on Angels' and Sam was already planning a new event. He'd heard that a small group of people were planning on making a movie, one involving angels as actors. Sam knew full well that this movie wouldn't be anything decent, nothing with angels in them ever were. He'd seen Dean's collection of porn; he knew what people did with angels on film. The next plan was to abolish this movie, do what they can to stop the production and discourage that kind of thing.

Yes, Sam was starting small. No, no one really noticed yet. But they would.


	16. Chapter 16

"It's starting!" John called excitedly from his favourite chair in the living room, a beer in his hand and remote in the other as he adjusted the volume. Mary hurried in and planted herself on the couch, watching the TV anxiously.

"How do you think he'll do? Will he get hurt?" She questioned.

"The latter is defined by the former, and I have no idea how he'll do." John sipped his beer casually, not worried about his son. Dean was a strong kid and when he was determined to do something he usually accomplished his goal. "Coming Sam?" He called again, partially because he figured Sam was being stubborn and should see this, partially because he knew it bothered his youngest. As Sam's dad it's his job to pester the boy.

Sam hesitated, he wanted to know if Castiel would get hurt, he wanted to know if Dean would learn his lesson, but he didn't want to watch the disgusting sport. "I'm coming." He said finally, trudging to the living room and crossing his arms in the doorway. "Honestly, I don't think they'll do very well."

Mary looked at him worriedly then back at the screen, crossing her fingers and praying silently. "Who are you praying to!" Sam snapped, "The angels are  _right there_! No one's listening because we caught them all!"

"Sam, don't yell at your mother," John countered angrily, both Mary and John knew Sam wouldn't stop with the outbursts and there usually was no arguing with him. The best they could do was keep patient and calm, or just ignore him outright.

Sam snarled and looked back at the screen, running a hand through his shaggy hair. The announcer finished spouting a recap of the last battles, who won in what city and so on. "No on to the Battle Arena in Denver, Colorado!" He shouted enthusiastically into his microphone, "We're moments away from an interesting set up, an archangel Jophiel and his owner Ash, two competitors that can be fairly lethal when taking the battles seriously. Although we already know that if Ash isn't in the mood their fighting tactics won't be terribly impressive. Up against them are two new comers to the field, this is their first official battle and apparently this angel has been plucked fresh from the wild! Let's see if he's been tamed enough! Everyone welcome the newest team to Angel Battling! Dean Winchester and his angel, Castiel!"

Sam swallowed as he watched those massive doors swing open and a brilliant light shone into the stadium. Castiel, his head held high and his wings spread in a magnificent display, stalked forward. His steps were deliberate and as defiant as he could make them, cold eyes staring down every single member of the crowd, daring them to make a move against him. Dean looked fairly excited but proud, his usual bowl-legged walk seemed less casual and more dominating than Sam remembered it.

"And now Ash and his angel Jophiel!"

Castiel's head snapped toward the opening doors on the other side of the arena, watching as Jophiel entered proudly, wings displayed and chest puffed up. Dean's eyes were on the human, someone who looked like a hill-billy that his dad might hang around with, especially with that mullet.

Both teams stepped into the ring, climbing up onto the raised platform of solid stone and approaching the center. A single official stood there and looked at them, "Do you know the rules?"

"Hell yeah," Dean grinned, "Beat the other guy's angel."

"Normally, that's the gist of it. However since these are the 'weeding out' rounds before the big fights, you can't touch the out of bounds areas. If you're going to touch something solid it can only be the ring." The official explained, her eyes on Dean because she knew Ash knew the set up.

Dean's expression fell for a moment, "Oh, right." He mentally scolded himself for forgetting that part, the big tournaments always started like this, it's what made the battles so much simpler and faster so they could get through several in one city.

Castiel swallowed hard and looked up at Jophiel, a good two feet taller than himself. Jophiel was an angel of few words unless he had something to say, or someone had said something interesting to him and a retort was necessary. He only looked down at Castiel with a knowing nod, as if to say 'it's been a while'. Castiel returned it and looked back to Dean. He was unsure if he could win a fight like this with an archangel, even despite the connection Jophiel might have with his human.

Dean agreed to the terms, not ignoring Castiel but dismissing his fears instead, they had come here to at least try. No one was getting anywhere without trying anything. "Good luck, new guy." Ash smiled with a friendly wave before turning on his heel and heading for his side of the ring.

Nodding and returning the wave half-heartedly (because Ash had already turned around), Dean made his way off the platform. He glanced over his shoulder at Castiel, the slender frame of his angel standing alone in that ring with a beast of an opponent. Castiel looked so small and yet, with his wings up and ready and that cocky stance, Dean found himself more attracted to that scrappy angel than ever.  _'You can do it, Cas.'_  He thought reassuringly, his mind searching out their path and bond.

They'd practiced enough before that it only took a moment to find it, but this time Dean ran into an obstacle, a similar one he had the first time; Castiel hadn't come to meet him. "Cas?" Dean called nervously from the sidelines but it was already too late, the bell went and Jophiel moved immediately. His fist connected with Castiel's stomach and sent him hurdling toward the far stadium wall.

Castiel's wings flapped powerfully, propelling him away from the wall again and into the air, fumbling to regain control of his flight. "CAS!" Dean shouted, helpless as he watched Jophiel hurdle toward his angel who still seemed almost frozen.

Castiel's heart rate increased to the point he couldn't hear anything else, his eyes strained to see Jophiel's approach but despite how hard he tried he couldn't follow it. Fear had gripped him and he couldn't shake loose of its hold. His movements were solely to escape another hit from his brother, a panicked attempt that wasn't going as well as he'd hoped; Jophiel was right behind him.

"If you are scared, Castiel, just fall out of bounds this time. I won't tell your human." Jophiel offered solemnly.

"I promised." Castiel tried to sound calm as he stuttered through his retort but his eyes betrayed his intent.

"So be it then." Jophiel said smoothly as his hand connected with the back of Castiel's neck, sending the smaller body hurdling back toward the ground.

Castiel adjusted his wings in such a way that he at least planted himself into the ring, though he made quite the crater. "Cas! Cas listen to me, you can't be scared right now!" Dean shouted, his nerves were on fire just watching this. He remembered not long ago he'd sit at home cheering on the angel that kicked the shit out of another one, especially if he didn't know either of the teams. Now here he was watching it happen to his angel and he could hardly stand to see it, Castiel's face twisted in pain, his body shifting awkwardly to try and stand again, and his wings slumped helplessly at his sides. Dean used to love seeing it, now he understood why Sam always made such a heart-wrenched face.

Castiel looked up; his blue eyes wide and teary and looking right into Dean's. He could see his human's face, those normally so collected features now torn apart and distraught. Dean was right at the edge of the ring, his body pressed against it and ready to hop over it and ruin his chances of competing, just to get to Castiel's side. Dean was scared for him, he cared more about him than the stupid tournament and would easily make a decision to stay by his angel's side than continue with this vanity contest.

"Cas get up!" Dean's voice, shrill and piercing, broke past Castiel's mental wall and his mind snapped back into place. He rolled onto his back just in time to catch Jophiel's next strike, his eyes flashing a pure white light into his brother's face.

Dean flinched from the sudden connection; Castiel had burst forward and connected their paths again in a split second. He relished in the sensations of his angel's strengths and feelings for a moment, relief washing over him now that he knew Castiel wasn't going to be pummeled for sure.

Castiel by now had beaten Jophiel back, his prideful brother becoming a surprisingly easy opponent with each motion. "Shit, I might want to do that connection thingy." Ash murmured tiredly.

Dean's jaw dropped again, the second time that day. "You mean that power and speed was just Jophiel!" He stammered in shock.

"Well yeah," Ash stretched, "He's an archangel, doesn't need my help with much so I just send him in to fight for me." He whistled to get his angel's attention, "Hey, you're gonna need me now, let's get this thing done."

Jophiel couldn't answer his master but he didn't need to, not to be able to make the connection. Castiel didn't let up; his strikes were fairly wild but overly powerful. In seconds Jophiel's eyes lit briefly and he came back at Castiel with a vengeance. Dean watched anxiously, his mind focusing as much as it could under the circumstances. He didn't expect a real battle, with all the cheering fans and shouting from announcers, to affect him so much. He'd overestimated himself and Castiel was sorely paying for it.

The brawl was brutal and quickly rising in height, each angel doing what he could to mangle and beat his brother. Jophiel's wings, stronger and larger than Castiel's, smashed forward and took out his little brother's wings easily. Castiel started to fall, his support beaten backward and bruised pretty badly. Jophiel wasn't going to leave it at that, he dove after Castiel and started dragging him toward the ground, their speed increasing rapidly.

Dean ran toward their landing zone, knowing it would be out of bounds, "Come on, Cas." He begged helplessly, his eyes fixed on his angel's struggling form.

A split second was all Castiel needed to flip their torpedoing flight around, grinding Jophiel into the dirt with such force that he went tumbling overhead and rolled the rest of the way to the arena wall, his back slamming into it with an echoing thud.

"CAS!" Dean sprinted to his angel's side, not letting Castiel collapse just yet. "Cas speak to me, are you okay?"

Blue eyes rolled open lazily, his chest rising and falling heavily as he panted from his exhaustion. Castiel's face was partially beaten and he felt limp in Dean's arms, just laying on him as if there were no support from his spine. "I'll live." He wheezed, closing his eyes again and resting his head against Dean.

"And Dean Winchester is the winner!" The announcer shouted over the speakers, "What an upstart! Never before seen angel Castiel paired with a high school graduated has beaten an archangel paired with a genius like Ash! I can't believe what I'm seeing here folks! Let's see if Dean and Cas have what it takes to make it-"

Castiel sat upright, his angelic voice booming from his throat to reach the announcer with ease,  **"It's** _ **Castiel**_ **, human."**  He refused to be called 'Cas' by someone who wasn't close to him without a fight. Dean gently brushed a hand through Castiel's damp hair, soiled with sweat and a lot of debris from the arena floor.

The announcer seemed stunned for a moment, a small uproar of laughter erupted from the crowd, if it wasn't because of the huffy expressive nature of Castiel's outburst then it was definitely because he managed to shut up the notorious blabber-mouth announcer.

Dean smiled and kissed Castiel's head sweetly, his arms wrapped around his angel's sore body, holding him close. Dean hadn't realized what he'd just done; kissing his angel even in such an innocent way was beyond most people's comprehension. To some it seemed absurd, to others it was blasphemous, but to the majority it was absurdly adorable and considered to be something of a kink.

"The clean up crew will take care of the ring, this is your chance to take a bathroom break people because we have more crazy action coming your way!"

Sam shook his head and slumped back against the wall, he'd been so tense and so worried for Castiel throughout the battle that now he felt exhausted. It was official; he still hated watching these things. "I can't watch Dean do this to Cas," he moaned, "I don't care of Cas says it's okay because it clearly isn't."

"Sam, you can't stop them from doing it. If you won't respect Dean's decision then at least recognize that Castiel has decided to do the same. You know that stubborn angel pretty well, he wouldn't be fighting if he didn't want to." John crossed his arms as he watched the commercials on screen.

"That's not true," Sam argued, "Those collars make it so he doesn't have a choice, he needs Dean's permission to do just about anything, especially if it isn't initially given. Cas is a slave and he had no choice but to go along with Dean. He said it was his choice so he would feel less trapped, that's all it was." Sam was convinced and there was no way of changing his mind, John didn't bother returning an arguing statement. "I'm going out." Sam stalked out of the room and upstairs.

He pulled on his Freedom Fighters get up, basically a black graphic shirt and blue jeans, gloves and his ski-mask. He climbed out his window and skulked to his group's meeting place, his ski mask in hand.


	17. Chapter 17

"The press seems to be enjoying this," Dean smiled, watching the replay on the large screen set up in the break room. All fighting teams were set up there, able to get refreshments in between sets. Castiel and Dean had finished their battle with Ash, who had promptly shaken their hands and left. Now they sat watching different things on the large TV, replays of favourite battle moments when there were no opponents in the ring.

Castiel watched the moments where he took his brother down, burying him in the dirt and hurdling to a stop himself. "What could they possibly be enjoying?"

"The kiss," Dean smiled, "I've seen me kiss your head about five times now, announcers mentioning it at least twice as much." He reached up and stroked his angel's cheek, "Apparently it's weird."

Castiel blushed angrily and looked up at the screen again, watching several other angels be torn up and thrown out. "Dean… We can't handle this. I… can't handle this. I want to leave."

Dean's expression softened and he followed Castiel's gaze, "You did it last time, that was incredible. Physically you're capable, did you change your mind on wanting to?"

"I'm… scared. I don't want to get hurt, or hurt them. I don't understand how this is entertainment. How could any of these angels go along with this?" He looked at his siblings, many of them wearing torn clothing, dirty like himself. He knew he'd have to fight several of them before moving on, he wasn't sure he could do it.

Dean looked at the other teams, specifically at the humans. He'd watched Angel Battles since they first came up and today he felt remorse, for the first time he was afraid of what might happen to an angel involved. His angel, Castiel, could have been seriously hurt and there was nothing he could do to help him. It was terrifying and he didn't get how these humans could do it. Dean had seen several of these teams before, many of them in the smaller fights like the ones they were in now. How could they keep it up?

"We'll take it a step at a time, Cas. There's nothing we can do about anything from the position we're in now." Dean said solemnly.

Castiel looked up at him with surprise, "What do you mean?"

"Unless we're in a position to be listened to, nothing we do or say will help." Dean turned to face Castiel fully, "We need to reach a power that they can't argue with, a place that will be able to get things done, where people will listen to us. If we don't have that, we might as well stand on the sidelines and do hunger protests or something. People have done that, it doesn't work." Dean sighed and looked at the TV as a close up of Castiel's distressed expression whirred by, mid fight.

Castiel tilted his head for a moment but nodded as it started to make sense. "I suppose you're right." He looked down at himself warily, "But what if we can't?"

"Then we do what we can do." Dean pat his shoulder comfortingly.

"And that would be?"

"Not sure yet." He admitted, "But we'll deal with it when we get there. Take it one step at a time."

" _The next rounds will begin shortly, if the team of Ruby and Zachariah, and team of Dean and Castiel could proceed to the dressing rooms and await the next battle. I repeat, -"_

Dean took a breath and then Castiel's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "We'll be fine, just don't panic and make the connection sooner, okay?"

Castiel took a short breath as well, much shallower than Dean's. "Zachariah used to be my superior," he muttered as they made their way back to the dressing room they'd been assigned.

"So what? Now's your chance for a little pay back." Dean sounded confident.

"How can you be so sure we can do this?" Castiel asked skeptically, his brow furrowing as he watched Dean's expression.

"I'm not sure, Cas. I don't know whether we'll win this thing or end up being the ones in the dirt. All I know is that we have to try. We can't give up, and I'll be damned if I'm not able to help you when you need me." Dean said sternly, gripping his angel's hand with more strength than he knew he had.

Castiel smiled and nodded, "Right, we'll do it together then."

"I mean come on, he was your boss, right? He must've done some weird stuff to you, or made you do, like dance for him or fetch his things or something."

"What kinds of bosses did you  _have_?" Castiel raised an eyebrow, receiving a cautious look from Dean.

"What?" Dean retorted lamely with a shrug. "Just trying to get you into a 'punch my boss in the face' mood."

Castiel rolled his eyes with a small laugh.

When the doors opened and the crowds cheered, Dean started walk a little more proudly. He had a beautiful angel beside him, wings spread and displayed brilliantly, he'd won his first match, and he knew that Ruby and Zachariah were a hated pair. Castiel's eyes fixated on the reconstructed ring, or at least a new one that had taken the old one's place. He inhaled slowly and closed his eyes as he felt the ground beneath his bare feet. At least this time he wasn't fighting an archangel.

"Same rules as before, boys and girls." The referee smiled at Dean in particular, "Play nice, no attacking the crowds." This time she glanced at the other two.

Dean pat Castiel's shoulder and headed for the edge of the ring again, preparing himself for bonding. Castiel swallowed and adjusted his wings, reminding himself that this was necessary. "Zachariah, it has been a long time."

Zach nodded and glanced over at his human with a sigh, "As much fun as this isn't, Cas, I hate to tell you that I actually quite enjoy the prospect of beating you into the ground." He smiled arrogantly as Castiel tilted his head in confusion.

"How? Why?" He stepped forward, eyes narrowed curiously. "We're brothers."

"Yes, but you managed to avoid humans longer than anyone else, I think you deserve it." Zachariah's grin seemed much more wicked now than it ever had. Castiel stepped away from him, a glare settling into his expression.

' _He's just looking for an excuse to hurt me.'_  He thought angrily.

' _Then don't let him.'_  Dean's voice startled him but then again they were so close to a connection. If it hadn't been for the one rule banning them from doing it sooner, they would be bonded already.

"And begin!"

The shout was sudden and the ringing of the bell wasn't expected but Castiel didn't waver. His wings ruffled up and with a powerful thrust he hurdled into the air, his expression serious yet the taunting look of his eyes pissing off his opponent.

"Insolent little pixie!" Zach bellowed bursting after Castiel with a violent motion. He didn't hold back and went for the smaller angel viciously, harsh shots of brilliant white light zipped past Castiel's slender form. "I'm not letting you get off easy, Castiel!"

Dean felt a little anxious for a moment when he realized that his angel lacked any form of fear. Castiel's motions were certain, determined and confident. Dean smiled, seeing the difference in power between the teams as if it were written on a white sheet of paper. Ruby looked completely frustrated with Zachariah, they didn't mesh, weren't meant for one another. Dean's grin widened the more he saw this,  _'You've got this in the bag, Cas.'_

Castiel floated toward the ceiling of the room, being careful not to touch it. He waited patiently for a moment as Zachariah blasted toward him and, in the last second, darted to the side and successfully avoiding Zach's assault.

Zachariah's eyes widened as he crashed into and right through the ceiling. Castiel winced with a smile and started flying back toward the arena floor. The announcer was going on about how awesome that was and etcetera, mostly though Castiel caught the words 'out of bounds' and 'Dean Winchester wins'. He sighed happily; glad he managed to finish that fight without hurting a brother.

However Castiel underestimated the rage of his former superior. Zachariah hurdled back through the hole he'd made and crashed into Castiel's backside with enough force that the smaller angel lost his balance and crumpled mid-air.

"Cas!" Dean shouted again, Zachariah's movements had been too fast to see him coming up behind Castiel and therefore made it impossible for him to warn his angel. At this point Dean and Castiel had already won, now the only concern was Castiel's safety.

Zachariah had commenced chasing but suddenly both of his wings froze up, the collar around his neck glowing angrily. He growled out several curses as he fell to the arena floor, passing Castiel who had caught himself before hitting the ground. The dark haired angel touched down, cautiously but arrogantly strolling to the crater Zach had made. "I believe you deserved at least that much, brother." He snorted, "Wishing for the harm of your fellow angels is distasteful at best, I hope you find light somewhere."

"There you have it, folks!" The announcer echoed throughout the stadium, "Castiel has spoken once again, this angel isn't without his fire. Quickly becoming a fan favourite, or so I hear."

Castiel rolled his eyes at the announcer and wandered to the ring's edge where Dean was clambering up. Castiel took his human's hand and pulled him to his feet, a smile gracing his lips. "I'm ok." He whispered.

Dean wiped his eyes and returned the smile, "Yeah, I guess you are." He wrapped his arms around his angel's shoulders and back, pulling him closer. "I love you, Cas." Dean whispered, resting his head in the crook of Castiel's neck. He took in the scent of his angel, breathing in the after-battle sweat and usual musk.

Castiel closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek against Dean, "I love you too." They both leaned back, foreheads pressed together and eyes locked. Dean placed a hand in Castiel's hair, guiding him closer until their lips met. His angel moaned into it and fell into Dean's arms completely, wrapping his own around Dean's neck and clinging to him.

In the next few moments of their passionate embrace the crowd shrieked ecstatically, Dean's hand gripped Castiel's hair as the angel pressed against him, no shame of any kind as he pushed his hips into Dean's. Castiel slipped one leg around his human and rubbed himself against Dean's thigh, slow and hard, letting his cock thicken and grow erect against Dean. He moaned again into Dean's mouth, breath inhaled sharply as his tongue escaped and trailed the warmth comfort of the other man.

As much as he wanted to continue with this, Dean pushed Castiel back slightly. "Not here." He whispered, petting Castiel's hair. "Later, okay?"

Castiel smiled and nodded, glancing at the crowds then the camera that was right next to them. He looked directly into the lens for a moment, knowing full well people were watching, angels were watching. He gave a small wave to them, "I will save you," he said before walking back toward their dressing area.

He and Dean went to sit down, well aware of how many times they'd have to fight today. Sitting in the break room again, Castiel leaned on Dean and closed his eyes, a nap more necessary than anything else right now. Dean stroked his angel's hair softly, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others in the room. "You're doing great, Cas."

"We are," Castiel corrected him tiredly, snuggling in closer and letting out a relaxed sigh.

* * *

Sam knew he couldn't manage to do much against the bigger corporations, especially not with the small group he'd assembled. But to his surprise, after posting things the Freedom Fighters had done online and documenting it anonymously, people were sending him emails. It didn't take long before he had thousands of emails, thousands of supporters asking what they could do to help.

Sam's first answer was always 'research'; know what you're up against. In their own towns, own states and even countries, Sam wanted them to do a detailed report on what the angel enslavement was like and what they could think of doing to help. He couldn't believe how many individuals wanted to help, how many people he was now going to be leading. It was more weight on his shoulders than he expected this early on but he was willing to carry it, what ever it took to save the angels he'd do it.


	18. Chapter 18

Several more battles came and went, all at least as easy as the one against Ruby and Zachariah. By the end of the tournament in Denver Castiel stood alone in the ring, eyes wide as he stared down at the angel he'd just knocked out of bounds. He hadn't particularly hurt any of them, not like when they wailed on him. His focus was the out of bounds area, if he could get them disqualified it was much better.

The crowd erupted when the match was called, Dean Winchester and Castiel win. Their team definitely counted as 'underdog' but they were growing as a fan favourite in their short amount of time in the big leagues. Castiel looked up at the cheering faces of the crowd and felt an anger burning in him that he quickly quelled. He knew it was a sport for them but he didn't see the amusement in watching an angel beat his brother down.

Castiel stuck his hand out to help his brother up but the other angel swatted him away and trudged to his human's side. Castiel flinched and brought his hand to himself, sad eyes watching his brother's defeated retreat. "I am sorry," He called over, catching the other's attention. "I'm going to rescue you, brother. I promise."

The angel paused and looked Castiel over, remembering the oblivious optimist that the dark haired individual used to be. "I believe in you, Castiel." He gave a short nod to his brother and returned to his human owner.

Dean placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder, "We won," he was breathless, almost entirely in shock. "Cas we're actually moving on in the world tournament! I can't believe it!"

Castiel smiled warmly and nodded, glad that he was lucky enough to have Dean. "Where and when do we continue?"

"Dunno yet, but this is awesome!" Dean threw his arms around Castiel's shoulders and hugged him tight, nuzzling their cheeks together.

Following some after parties and whatever else, a man in a suit, holding an envelope, approached Dean. "Hello, Dean." The man smiled and inched closer casually, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dean raised an eyebrow and shifted his position to face the man a little better, "Uh, hi." He glanced at Castiel, who was boldly wearing decorated clothing to counteract the fact that he'd been stuck in the plain white cloth. Another way to defy the earlier rules, his clothing clung to his body to show off the shape and curves of him. Dean smiled and looked back to the shorter male, "And you are?"

"Crowley," The slightly overweight man grinned widely. "I'm the face of this little… Tournament." He explained with a dramatic hand gesture.

It was at that moment that Dean realized the man standing before him was the sponsor for the World Tournaments in Angel Battle, basically the owner of all of it and the one who came up with the idea. "Oh my god…" He managed to sputter out.

Castiel furrowed his brow and turned his head to peer at Dean suspiciously. "What's with the enthusiasm? He's a stranger, isn't he?"

Dean, busily shaking Crowley's hand, barely turned to look at his angel. "Not anymore. This is the founder of the Angel Battling-" Dean slowly trailed off when he realized the complications of Castiel's feelings on this one. He slowly glanced over his shoulder to see the suspicion on his angel's face quickly shift and lose all amusement, and then anger.

" **You"**  Castiel stormed forward, stopping as soon as Dean spun to hold him back. "Capturing and torturing us wasn't enough for you? You had to pit us against one another in all out combat! How  _dare_  you smile! How dare you-"

"Cas, Cas calm down." Dean held him firmly, squeezing his trembling shoulders reassuringly. Dean pulled his face close and whispered something only he could hear; "Remember where we have to be to do anything about it? We need to keep on this guy's good side."

Castiel snarled low before taking a long breath. "I do not wish to kiss this man's ass, Dean…" He paused and exhaled slowly, "But if I must…"

Dean smiled and kissed him, turning back toward Crowley, "Alright then, sorry about that."

Crowley shrugged, "Happens more than you think." His gaze shifted to Castiel's bitter eyes then back to Dean, "I'd like to congratulate the two of you. Your first tournament today and you ended up catching the attention of almost all forums, news groups, and fans out there. They're all very impressed with you."

Dean scratched the back of his head, "Ah, well thanks." He couldn't stop the light blush on his cheeks, he'd never been famous before and the excitement was getting to him. Or the room was really, really warm and stuffy (Castiel would probably vouch for that last one).

"No need to get modest, Dean." Crowley lifted the envelope and placed it into Dean's hands, not losing that salesman grin. "The next part of the tournament that you will be taking part in isn't taking place for another month or so. We're going to finish weeding out the rest of the competition then two weeks are automatically given. In that time I'm going to do you a favour."

Dean raised an eyebrow but opened the envelope regardless. He lifted a few papers out, his eyes lighting up. He was holding the acceptance letter to one of the most renowned Angel Training camps in the country, possibly the world. "Oh my-"

"Don't say 'god,'" Castiel cut him off sharply.

"Ducky, he's allowed to say whatever he'd like to." Crowley sneered subtly before addressing Dean again, "I'd almost say you really need it. You got him right out of the wild, right? I'd highly suggest it, he hasn't been previously trained or conditioned to listen to humans or know his place."

Though he felt the urge to punch Crowley in the face for that comment, Dean did his best to behave himself. "I can't pay for this," he knew how much it cost for the high-tech training sites and he knew even better that he could hardly afford the one he'd already gone to with Mrs. Milton.

"And you won't, I'm giving it to you." Crowley said smoothly, "I'm rooting for you, dear boy. Hurrah, hurrah." He tossed his arms in the air half-heartedly with a half-interested expression. "I like the underdog and you two have shown a lot of promise, a lot more than anything else I've ever seen."

"So that means you'd pay this much money to send us to one of the training camps?" Dean questioned.

"I could buy the camp if I wanted, Dean."

"I wouldn't put it past you." Castiel grumbled, his arms crossing over his chest stubbornly.

"Cas, was it?" Crowley smiled.

"Castiel to you." The angel narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"Right, well Cassy let me let you in on a little secret, I get off to a song called  _'Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek'_ by Blue October. Give it a listen sometime, you'll know a bit better not to fuck with me." Crowley wasn't kidding, that much was obvious but you would never know that by the friendly face he put on. "Just pretend I'm singing to you."

Castiel was a little confused as to why he would want to know something like that but considered giving it a listen despite. Dean, on the other hand, decided not to address the conversation much further than it had already gone. "Anyway," He said louder than he needed to, "When do we start? And how long is it?"

"You'll be going there immediately, it's over once you either pass with flying colours or the next part of the tournament begins."

"So we could be there for at most a month?" Dean furrowed his brow, "Do we stay there the entire time?"

"Not allowed to leave," Crowley made the 'shoo' motion with his hands, "And it isn't an option, Ducky here hasn't had proper training for this tournament. He needs something more than a hick town's idea of how to train an angel, something more formal and accepted by everyone else."

"He means less personal," Castiel said as he turned away, heading for the door. "I'll be outside."

Dean nodded and looked back at Crowley one more time, "Thanks, I guess. Be seeing you?"

"Oh I'll be joining you at the training site, gotta make sure they do it right." Crowley waved and headed into the crowd of socialites.

Outside, Castiel leaned on his shoulder against the building's outer wall, staring up at the sky. He bit his bottom lip and dropped his head dismally, heart beating painfully against his chest. "Father, give me the strength to do this." He whispered hoarsely, jumping slightly at the hand gently placed on his shoulder. Quickly looking up his eyes met Dean's, a look of sympathy in them.

"It'll be okay, Cas." Dean wrapped his arms around his angel's shoulders and held him for a moment.

"How do you know?" Castiel mumbled, knowing he'd asked once before.

"I don't, Cas." Dean's hot breath on his neck was a small comfort, "You'll just have to trust me."

"I do." Castiel let himself hang off of Dean, depending on his human's strength to hold him up.

* * *

It took a day or two to drive to the nearest 'Academy of Angels' training site, Dean still couldn't believe where he was even after he spoke to the registration desk. He dropped his bag on the bed and sighed, "I can't believe I'm here…"

"Nor can I." Castiel muttered, much less exasperated and a lot more filled with disdain. "At least we get today off to rest."

Dean nodded and started peeling off his shirt, "Shower time then." He spoke in general as he headed toward the bathroom, noticing much to his surprise that Castiel was following him. "You want to shower with me?"

Castiel tilted his head curiously, "Isn't that what you want?" He wasn't going to admit that he needed one, even after being stuck in the car for so long.

"Of course, come on in then." Dean motioned happily, more than overjoyed his angel was still willing to join him after all of the shit they'd already put themselves through getting here.

The two undressed and stepped into the tub together, hot water running down their bodies almost instantly. Castiel shuddered from the sudden heat, stepping back slightly and brushing against Dean in the process. He looked up enough to gaze through half-focused eyes at Dean's face. Both were exhausted from the trip, from the fighting and from just about everything else. But even in that tired state of mind, Castiel could still see Dean in an overly sexual light and found himself swallowing lightly just staring.

"Cas?" Dean asked tentatively though seemingly oblivious.

Castiel rushed forward and pressed their naked, wet bodies together in a hot kiss, his hands exploring parts of Dean he'd already grown to know. Surprised but not in any way disturbed, Dean returned the stroking in kind. His fingers caressing the gorgeous crease in Castiel's torso that led down past his hips and trailed into his groin. The shudder he received was good but Castiel's moaning was music to his ears, listening to that rough gravel-tone whimper for him was enough arousal to finish but Dean refrained.

The stroking and petting quickly shifted into something much more hardcore, both humping into the other's hand in a desperate attempt to gain more friction. Their mouths open consistently, short, shallow gasps escaping with their groans and whines, and sharp and audible inhalations of air. Dean growled and spun Castiel around against the shower wall, his fingers probing into his angel's ass relentlessly.

Castiel exclaimed loudly, bending further, bucking backward into Dean's hand as his human added another finger. They moved together for a moment before a third digit was added to further finger fuck the whimpering angel. As Dean removed all fingers and paused for a moment, Castiel bucked back again with a distressed cry, wanting, needing Dean to take him.

Dean didn't hesitate further and penetrated Castiel's entrance, slamming hard against his prostate and ripping another shriek of ecstasy from his throat. Dean smiled; listening to how much Castiel was enjoying it and giving him more. His angel reached back with one hand and gripped what he could of Dean, the other pressed firmly against the wall, fingers dragging down it slowly.  **"HARDER! Make me feel it!"**  Castiel shouted in a growl.

Castiel whimpered and cried out the same way he always had, his body moving against Dean's and his demands for more pressure were the same. However Dean had an odd feeling. He pulled out and turned Castiel around, lifting him up against the wall and entering him again that way. Looking up at his lover again, Dean was surprised by what he saw, and a little heart broken.

Castiel's eyes were red from crying, the tears still trailing down his cheeks. His mouth curled tight as he sobbed, "Hurt me."

"Why would you ask me to do that?" Dean whispered, using the strength in his arms to move Castiel up and down on his cock to keep the feeling going for both of them.

"After everything I did to my brothers and sisters today… Please, Dean…"

"You didn't do anything, Cas." Dean smiled softly, his touch gentle as his hand came up and started stroking Castiel's erection, still slowly fucking him. "You won by knocking them out of bounds, I saw you today and I know for a fact you never hurt any of them. They all hit you a lot more than you hit them, I think you already got your punishment."

"But I-"

"Shhh." Dean kissed him tenderly, mouth moving against Castiel's until he gave in and kissed back. "If anything you deserve to enjoy this after everything today." Dean whispered, carefully bucking up at the right moment to strike Castiel's prostate again, his angel moaning from the sensation striking through him. Dean repeated the motion slowly, casually working Castiel up, all the while pumping his hand up and down the shaft of Castiel's leaking cock.

Dean smiled when Castiel started to move with him again, fingers finding Dean's arms and digging in as he cried out loudly, shuddering into his orgasm and spilling his release between them.

Dean wasn't far behind, filling Castiel up and painting his insides white hot. They rode through together, breathing heavily against the wall of the shower that was still running and dripping down both of them.

Soon they cleaned up and toweled off, Dean knowing better than to offer clothing to Castiel right before bed. They climbed into the unfamiliar sheets and snuggled close, Castiel refusing to move further from Dean than being in his arms. Not complaining or rejecting the notion, Dean happily embraced his angel for the rest of the night, knowing that some hard-core training would be coming up very soon.


	19. Chapter 19

A loud banging sound echoed throughout the living quarters of the training camp, Dean startled awake by it, rousing into a sitting position. Meanwhile Castiel reacted much more violently thanks to his edged nerves. He flipped up out of the bed and landed on his feet, a slight twitch in his thighs as he caught his balance, legs spread apart and arms up in defense.

"What is that?" He growled anxiously, his limbs trembling against his will.

Dean reached up between Castiel's legs and stroked the soft flesh dangling there, a smile coming to his lips as his angel visibly relaxed and slipped back down with a low moan. "It's obviously the wake up call." He whispered gruffly, and pulled Castiel back into the comfort of their bed. "Take a moment, a breath, and calm down a bit."

Castiel sighed lightly and rested his head against Dean's warmth and nestled back into the safety of his arms. Blue eyes blinked slowly, holding shut to keep the calm feeling trapped behind them, then opening again to view the stressful world and share his vision. "I guess… we should get up?"

"That's one way to react to it." Dean mumbled tiredly, resting his face into Castiel's hair.

Castiel nodded and started to crawl up again, "Then let's go, I'd like to get this over with."

"Wait, Cas." Dean sat up, his serious expression scrunching his face a little, mildly unflattering. "I have to ask you about all of this again. I know you're uncomfortable still, I know you don't like it at all and I'm pretty sure you're pissed with me for 'fan-boy'ing over it. Did you want to continue? 'Cause I'll take you home if you wanted."

Castiel sat with his legs swung over the bed, back facing Dean. He hadn't wanted to consider the idea that Dean was still so pumped about this tournament he'd ignore Castiel's feelings, and luckily Dean wasn't the heartless douche that Castiel first thought he was. "Thank you, Dean." He whispered with a smile, glancing over his shoulder at the concerned look on his human's face. "But I'll stand by what I said. We'll see this through as far as we can, I won't quit just because my nerves are overly sensitive."

Dean smiled and wrapped his arms around his angel, crossing them over Castiel's chest and pressing them together, his head resting on Castiel's shoulder. "I just want you to know that you mean more to me than some stupid tournament, okay? I love you, Cas."

His hand slowly reached up and gripped the tensed muscle of Dean's arms, squeezing as if he'd never let go. "I love you too, Dean. I wish this were over already…" Castiel's grip and eyes hardened, determination lifting his jaw and squaring his shoulders, "But complaining and bitching about it won't accomplish anything, so I'm going to stop doing both." He turned and kissed Dean softly, "I'll never let you go," he whispered. "You want to know what my dream is?"

Dean smiled, "Yeah, I do."

"I want to marry you and live together equally, our own house and you'll make me cheeseburgers for supper all the time. Shopping at malls together and walking through parks and on beaches. Movie nights and date nights, I'll make you apple pie like your mom's, and we could visit Sam." Castiel's gaze had drifted to the floor in front of him, his expression lulled into a dreamy state where he pictured everything he said.

Dean adjusted his position to hold Castiel more strongly and kissed his boyfriend's cheek, "I'd like that, Cas. Once we're done saving the world we'll make your dream a reality, I promise."

Castiel smiled and relaxed into Dean's hold on him. The two sat together this way for several more minutes before finally dressing and hurrying outside. They discovered their partners in training were more familiar than they originally thought. The only other two present were Anna and Chuck, people Dean didn't think he'd ever see again.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Dean raised an eyebrow as he jokingly shook Chuck around by his slender shoulders.

"Easy! Easy!" Chuck complained, pulling away in a dramatic fashion conducive to his usual behavior. "What do you think we're doing here, knucklehead?"

As Dean pondered the implications of Chuck calling him knucklehead, Anna piped in. "We were asked to join this camp as a favour to the infamous Crowley." The name rolled off her tongue like poison, her disdain for the short, disturbing man more obvious than it should be for her own safety. "He said you two might learn faster in a 'familiar learning environment'. Since he couldn't bring the old training grounds here, he decided to abduct your former training partners."

"Makes sense to me," Castiel smiled and hugged her again, "Glad to see you, sister."

"You as well," She nuzzled his cheek briefly before stepping back, "I saw your battles, I'm pretty impressed Cas."

"Considering how those fights would probably have gone in heaven, I'm impressed too." Castiel chuckled, his relief to see friendly faces calming him greatly.

"You know not all the fights are going to be like that, right?" Her faces creased with the subtle distress she was feeling. "Knocking them out of bounds won't do the trick anymore, you actually have to beat them."

Castiel nodded, without a moment of hesitation this time. "I understand that, but I have to go through with this. Once this is finished, one way or another, Dean and I will free the rest of you."

She smirked, "How the hell are you going to do that?"

"We need to climb higher to be able to have more influence. Once I get a better perch up there I'll figure the rest of it out." Castiel returned the smirk and went back to Dean's side. "We'll need to make a better plan," he muttered grumpily so the other two couldn't hear.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, probably a good idea." He rubbed his angel on the head, messing up the soft black hair resting there. Castiel raised an eyebrow, an annoyed growl rumbling in his throat.

"Probably want to keep a leash on your pet, Dean." Crowley's voice rolled over them, both angels glaring up at the man with equal rage. "He might bite." Crowley finished as he stopped nearby.

"I'll think about it," Dean said without amusement though lacking any form of difficulty so he wouldn't slip so easily into Crowley's bad books. "So what do we do now?"

"First, endurance." Crowley grinned, motioning for someone to step forward. "Cassy, you'll have to be chained up for this one." Someone was approaching from a nearby building with enchanted chains and shackles in hand.

"What?" Castiel snarled, "First, it's  _Castiel_  to you. Second, I'm not doing anything like it."

"Why would you chain him up?" Dean stepped between Castiel and Crowley defensively.

"For the endurance," Crowley repeated himself with an exasperated sigh and rolling of the eyes. "If he's going to be moving a lot we need to tie him down."

"What do you mean by endurance?" Castiel spat out.

"I mean 'how many hits can you take'." Crowley looked between the concerned faces, "We're not going to kill him, just beat him up a lot. That's where the two of you come in." He waved his hand toward Anna and Chuck. "Believe it or not, Dean, you have to work a little harder than just relying on innate talent. Some of these suckers are tough and have been at this much longer than you."

Dean scrunched his face in protest but kept quiet. He and Castiel needed the training, but he didn't want to beat the shit out of his angel to do it. "There has to be something else we can do. I don't want to hurt Cas."

"You won't be, if anything you'll be just as down in the mud as he will be." Crowley handed Dean the shackles, "Now if you'd do the honours of chaining your angel we could get moving with this."

Castiel looked at Dean curiously, head tilted in a way that only accented the confused expression. Would Dean really tie him down? Would he let this happen? "No." Dean shook his head, "I'm not doing this. We won't take your stupid training if it means I have to do this to Cas."

Though a wave or relief washed over Castiel he was shocked to find himself suddenly on his knees. "Kinda figured," Crowley shrugged, "Worth a shot."

"Cas?" Dean darted to his angel's side, "Cas, are you okay?"

Castiel squirmed under an invisible pressure, glancing up at Dean with an enraged look, "It's the collar we have to wear," he explained in a strained voice, "It was created so humans could control us but they'd never make something that couldn't be over-ridden. This place must have some kind of control system."

"Smart and pretty, I like that." Crowley smirked, "Yes, it's an override system, designed to force cooperation and all that. This training isn't an option, boys."

Dean scowled at him but didn't move from Castiel's side, "Let him go, now."

Crowley looked them up and down and sighed heavily, "Alright, alright, but you're going to need this training."

In moments Castiel was free to stand again, his body relaxing immediately as he gave his head a shake. His first instinct was to lash out, but his mind retreated back to his first fight, when Jophiel hit him that first time. They hadn't been connected then and he was nearly done in one hit, just one. Anything could happen within this tournament and he knew for a fact that luck was never on his side; Dean seemed to have less than that, even.  _'I need to do this.'_  His expression hardened as he straightened up, focusing on Crowley, "I'll do it."

"What!" Dean looked into his angel's face and found no hesitation there. "Cas… What are you thinking? He's talking about hurting you repeatedly to up your endurance or whatever. You can't!"

"I have to," Castiel snapped his head in Dean's direction, his tone harsh as he raised his voice. "Dean you were right, we need a stronger position than where we are now. We'll never get there if I can't handle myself." He looked back at Crowley and nodded, "I'll stay in place, let's do this."

Crowley smiled, "Well alright then, let's get a move on."

Dean shook his head, "No, Cas and I aren't taking part in this."

"You'll have your own training to handle, Dean." Crowley motioned for several individuals to take Dean to a separate area. "Have fun."

"What! Hey!" Dean struggled but was no match for the fairly buff men that carried him off. "CAS!" He shouted over his shoulder, swinging his legs and squirming with as much strength as he had, "CAAAAASSS!"

He landed with an overdramatic 'ooph' when the men threw him to the floor of a relatively large building, nicely tiled and clean. Dean stood up immediately and spun back toward the door to exit though his arms were caught again, tossed back to the tiles. "Let me go!"

"You won't be gettin' out that way, friend." A somewhat familiar voice called out to him.

Dean turned again to see Ash sitting with his feet propped up on a surprisingly polished table. "Ash? What're you doing here?"

"Big shocker, I know." Ash pulled himself up and shrugged a little, "I work for the guy."

"Crowley?"

"Yep," Ash nodded and looked half-lidded at a door down the long hallway to his right, "And we've got some work to do if you're going to be champ." He waved Dean to follow him as he strolled toward the door.

Dean's confusion was evident as he went after Ash, "What? I don't get what you mean."

"Crowley pays me big bucks to have me work for him, that and all the beer I could want." Ash smiled, "My job is to train the human portion of the teams, and you're on Crowley's list of people to train."

"But why?"

"Not sure, probably because he's bored with the current set up. Current champions are kind of stuck up."

Dean shrugged, couldn't argue much with Ash on that one. As much as he liked the Bella Michael team he knew from different interviews that they had serious attitude problems. "Okay, so how can I train?"

"Virtual reality, my friend." Ash opened the door at the end of the hall to reveal some high tech shit that Dean didn't even try to pretend he understood. "Battle endurance and tactician training."

"Uh… huh…" Dean's mouth remained open as he stared up at the gear, slowly walking into the room. With a flick of a switch all of the lights of the machinery came alive, a loud and metallic hum vibrating into their ears.

"Welcome to the next month of your life." Ash stated proudly, the doors to the room slamming closed behind them.


	20. Chapter 20

Dean stared up at the ceiling, his eyes flittering back and forth, waiting for the next movement, the next angel to swoop down. He understood the connection, the battle system set up between men and angels. He knew how deep he could go, how deep he had to go, to take the control he was supposed to have. It was the angel's strength, but without the human mind, the free will and soul they'd been given, an angel's strength was worthless. In order to fight and in order to win, Castiel needed Dean to be in the game. Up until now, he hadn't been.

In the virtual world set up around him, Dean was able to reach the necessary level. He'd been in here for possibly days at a time, Ash hauling him out for food, water, a shower, and sleep. Then he'd be thrown back in; back to the hideous battles he remembered seeing in previous tournaments. Ash was recycling them, showing Dean how bad things could get in reality. Then, of course, there were battles that Ash had simulated himself. They'd started out with Dean and a virtual Castiel, fighting and often losing in the matches, unless dumb luck prevailed. He'd dropped to his knees after several losses and screamed his frustrations out.

A brief sit down with Ash and an explanation didn't help, Dean needed to be shown. Ash helped him cheat for about five minutes, let him feel and see the true bond to get an understanding as to what it was he needed to do.

And that was all Dean needed. It was like he became Castiel, he knew where he was physically standing but he could see through Castiel's eyes, feel the tension before the fight. He could perceive the knots growing in Castiel's belly and the anxiety swarming in his mind. Dean reached forward and watched as Castiel did the same. With a human's mind and spirit guiding an angel's motion and thought, Ash explained to Dean that they'd become the perfect single unit in two separate entities.

Now that the month was coming to an end, or so Dean figured considering how long he'd been doing this, and he'd spent it all training. He couldn't wait to see his angel again, the real one. Those beautiful eyes with real time life sparkling in them, his arms around him, holding one another... Dean sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Which was enough time for him to be thrown back into a wall. Snapping back into gear in an instant, it didn't take long for Dean to beat the next angel team coming at him.

"Very nice," Ash's voice rung out in his ears, "Took you like… three minutes. New record."

The world around him seemed to phase out for a brief moment then it shivered into what he knew to be the inside of a helmet. Dean slowly lifted it off and rubbed his eyes, "Shower time?" He mumbled.

"Yep, food, water, shower, and then you get to choose." Ash wandered off like he usually did.

"Choose what?" Dean called out as he struggled to his feet and stumbled after the odd man.

"Later." Ash explained without turning around.

Dean rolled his eyes and followed, doing the routine like he was used to. After his meal came his shower, located in his own room, which was nice. Dean wandered out of his bathroom in a towel, heading for his bed for what he figured was a well-deserved sleep. He had to stop, however. There was a figure wrapped in his blanket, curled up and breathing softly. Dean inched closer and around the bed for a better angle of his guest and couldn't help the overwhelming joy when he finally recognized Castiel.

"CAS!" He shouted, leaping into the bed, promptly startling the poor thing.

Castiel jolted and his eyes flashed open, a hand immediately reaching for Dean's throat which Dean quickly took hold of. "Dean?" Castiel's voice wavered for a moment, as if he hardly believed the image in front of him. "Dean are you really here?"

Dean nodded and wrapped his arms around his angel's slender frame, "Cas I'm so glad to see you're alive, you're ok."

Castiel relaxed into the hold and closed his eyes, "Yeah, I'm ok." He bit his bottom lip and curled further into the embrace, jaw trembling. "I missed you," he sobbed quietly, fingers gripping Dean's back like it was life or death.

Dean adjusted his head to lean against Castiel's, taking in the smell of him and feel of his hair on his cheek. "I missed you too, Cas." Dean couldn't believe the difference in Castiel from the first time they'd met until now. He wasn't going to complain but it was surprising how much Castiel had changed.

They sat like that, naked, tangled in a blanket and towel in each other's arms. Neither wanting to move or do anything else, so they slept. A long awaited sleep for both of them. In the middle of the night Castiel woke and started kissing Dean, slowly at first, gradually becoming more passionate, deeper and moving harder. Dean drowsily kissed back, not able to sleep through the steady hump of Castiel's crotch on his leg, the thick and heavy flesh dragging along his bare skin was far too tempting.

Soon they were making out and exploring one another all over again, it'd been too long since they'd touched. Both were starving for it, Dean moved down between Castiel's legs and sucked lightly at the throbbing erection waiting for him there. Castiel moaned softly, his back pressing down into the sheets, hands up above his head and gripping the pillow to help ease himself and not let go so quickly. "Dean" he squeaked quietly in a breathy voice, hips moving up gently to try and cheat more pressure out of his lover.

Dean moved with Castiel and only gave on tiny moment of stronger pressure, just to hear the short gasp his angel choked out. Dean proceeded to tease Castiel, once in a while coating a finger in saliva, just a little more each time. Once satisfactorily wet, he started probing Castiel entrance, his finger circling the ring and slipping inside and out periodically. Continuing this action for a minute or two, Dean took in the elated sounds Castiel was producing, soft, elegant and wanting. He moved for two fingers now, pushing them both in and out repeatedly, massaging Castiel's ass open carefully but hard enough that his angel couldn't help but press himself down to try and get the sensation a little deeper.

Once Dean pushed in a third finger, continuing the in and out motion quicker, he fully wrapped his lips around Castiel's swollen cock and sucked harder. Castiel arched his back with a sharp cry and a gasp, bucking into Dean's mouth suddenly as though he'd had no control over it. Just as he was enjoying it, getting closer and closer to a satisfying release, Dean stopped. Castiel whined in protest, not stopping the bucking of his hips. His whining only increased in desperation when Dean removed his fingers from giving him that sweet deep and penetrating sensation.

Dean smiled and grabbed a complimentary bottle of lube conveniently left on his dresser. It'd been there since the first night, he hadn't used it before but now its presence made sense to him. He coated his dick liberally, groaning from the touch. He hadn't realized how hard he'd gotten just working Castiel up, that angel of his was really something else.

Castiel spread his legs completely open for Dean, head rolling back in anticipation. Dean liked to stop and take in the sight before doing anything, watching the anxious and needy twitch of his partner's cock, the reddened skin around his entrance, and the beautiful way he closed his eyes and parted those soft lips. Dean smiled and pushed inside, moaning with the sudden pressure and warmth. Castiel pressed his thighs against Dean, squeezing as he adjusted himself for the next few moments.

Dean leaned down and kissed his angel, he couldn't take watching Castiel's face twist amidst the feelings of pain and pleasure. "You're gorgeous, Cas." He whispered, slowly pushing in further, burying himself deep within his lover.

Castiel looked up at him, eyes glazed over with lust and love. He smiled and kissed Dean back, "I love you."

"I love you too." Dean whispered in return, gradually quickening his pace. They took it slow at first, feeling the other move and complimenting it with their own motion. Castiel's moans grew louder as he neared his climax, his thighs pressing harder against Dean who reached down between them and started coaxing Castiel's orgasm to rise higher. Dean's hand on his cock, pumping fast and hard combined with the pounding his ass was getting, the strikes against his prostate, Castiel's moans slipped into shouts which turned into a loud, satisfied scream as he came, shuddering through his orgasm and coating them both with his hot release.

Dean couldn't take the sights and sounds any more and quickly followed suit, painting Castiel's insides white and filling him up to the brim. They both gasped and squirmed into one another, sloppy kisses and lazy hugs. Dean gently pulled out and dropped into the sheets beside Castiel who carefully turned over and crawled into Dean's arms again. They held one another close, neither speaking though they didn't really have to. Dean had enough practice that he could make their connection easily, almost without Castiel's knowledge of it. He shared his experience of the last month by mentally showing Castiel the different things he'd done.

At first Castiel was against it, he didn't want to show Dean any of it. But enough coaxing opened his mind to his partner fully, showing the last month's events clearly. Dean gripped Castiel closer to him as he witnessed the pain, felt it and endured along with his angel. It took only a few moments but Dean had absorbed the memories into himself. "You're okay now, I've got you." Dean whispered.

"I'm fine, Dean." Castiel frowned and grumbled back.

Dean didn't reply, he didn't need to. His grip tightened, not letting Castiel back away from him. His hold on him was enough to tell Castiel that Dean knew him better than that, that Dean knew all of it. Castiel struggled for a moment to get away from it, from the feeling someone could see right into him. But he couldn't. His hands went from trying to push Dean away to holding tighter and pulling himself in closer, his face pressed into the welcoming flesh of Dean's chest. Castiel trembled but couldn't fight it, tears streaming down his cheeks as he broke down into a crying mess. Dean didn't let go of him; he knew Castiel would be ok as long as he didn't let go. These tears came from the feelings of loneliness, from the pain, and fear of the last month. Fear of being hurt, fear of not knowing what was happening to Dean, fear of never seeing his lover again. Castiel cried until sleep took over, Dean pet his hair gently and closed his eyes, slowly letting himself drift away among the soft whimpers of his angel.


	21. Chapter 21

Dean walked down the long hallway, his angel's hand held tight in his own. The lights were dim as they approached the doors, his eyes focusing slowly. He couldn't help but think back to their training on Crowley's grounds, a question repeating in his head.  _'Why were Chuck and Anna there?'_  He'd seen Ash the entire time but not Anna or Chuck, had they been with Castiel the whole time? "Hey Cas, were Chuck and Anna with you during training?"

Castiel tightened his grip and nodded, "Yeah, they were. Crowley wanted them to be the ones to push my endurance."

"They're the ones that hurt you?" Dean glowered, swearing mentally that he'd give Chuck the what for when they met again.

"Yes and no…" Cas smiled, "Anna was kind about it the whole time, and Chuck knew exactly when to stop pushing me. It hurt, yes. But I'm glad I did it."

"Why?" Dean furrowed his brow, the idea lost on him.

"Because I needed it, Dean. I can take a hit now, more than just one hit actually. We can do this, I know we can." He took a long breath and reached for the doors.

All of the pre-tournament battles had finished, they had the finalists picked out for the American teams and soon those teams would be fighting to see who would move on in the World Tournament. Dean and Castiel stood side by side in the arena with several other combatants, all enemies but all brothers. Castiel glanced at his siblings, sidelong looks of anger from some and others just looked broken. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, the cheering of the crowd indicated this was a glorious event but the way he stood, wings drooped and head hung, he showed his dismay and sadness toward it. The other angels watching, be it at home, in the crowd, or standing in the ring with him, copied his stance and lowered their heads.

The act didn't go unnoticed, the announcer caught on immediately and the cameras in the building scanned the arena for all angels standing. "What is going on here? Our little Castiel has inspired some kind of action. What's with the bowed heads?"

A microphone was ushered a little closer to what looked like the lead angel, Castiel standing perfectly still as the camera zoomed in closer on his face. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the inching human, "Don't mistake this stance for obedience, this an act of sadness and suffering. You need to understand something, dear humans." He looked directly into the camera, his face projected once again on the large screens above the arena floor. His eyes were bright and clear as crystal, no fear lingered there and none threatened to rise up in him. "I will not bow to you and you cannot break me, save your breath because this is far from over. Brothers and sisters, I address you again, as dark is it seems, as lost as you feel, remember what I've said and follow me as best you can. I will not give in and neither should you. Humans are our father's creations and we are meant to help them, but this isn't right. What's been done to us is wrong and I will never bend my knee as long as it stands this way."

Dean smiled; glad that Castiel's fire was as strong as ever, his words as passionate.

Then something remarkable happened, all of the angels lifted their wings in a moment of passion and feeling, eyes on Castiel and wings spread wide in allegiance to him. Every angel watching, all that were able, flapped their wings toward him and let out one or two sharp shouts in their true voices, shaking the arena and every household that had the TV tuned in. Before any human could stunt the commotion with a command, the angels chanted Castiel's name for as long as they could, the last ones screaming it out before they too were silenced with demands from the ones who held their leash.

This had been the most eventful opening to a tournament yet, never before had an angel caused such an uproar. The rules were explained again, this time describing that they'd have to actually knock the other angel out, not just out of bounds. Castiel knew it was coming; it didn't shock him like it did one or two of the others. Each team would fight once in a day until they had weeded it down to the one team who would move on to compete against other countries.

Once the rules had been covered, two teams stayed behind while the rest moved to the sitting area. Dean ran his hands through his hair with a laugh before wrapping his arms around Castiel, "You're awesome."

Castiel smiled and returned the hug happily, "Thanks, but I couldn't just remain silent. My big mouth will get me in trouble some day."

"Good luck, brother." Uriel approached, his owner, Christian Campbell following with his arms crossed.

Castiel smiled, "Thanks, you as well."

"We won't go easy." Uriel warned.

"I know, your human wants to win just as much as mine so I don't expect you to." Castiel bowed his head briefly for his brother, indicating he understood completely. "No hard feelings between us, whatever happens out there."

Uriel nodded and bowed his head for Castiel as well, a little lower than the smaller angel had.

Christian rolled his eyes then looked at Dean with an annoyed glare, "You know you should control your angel a little better."

Dean smirked at the man, "Feeling threatened yet?"

"Oh you're dead." Christian snarled as he walked away, "Come on Uriel." The large angel followed obediently, glancing back at Castiel for a moment.

"Everyone's so different." Castiel said quietly, giving his brother a small wave.

"What do you mean?" Dean raised an eyebrow at that.

"Uriel used to be quite cruel to me, it's odd to see him like this now." Castiel shook his head, "Well from what I remember seeing of the screens above us, we're fighting them next." He looked at Dean with a small smile, "Guess you'll be excited to beat them, won't you?"

"What? Just because we trash talked a little bit? Nah, it'll be the same." Dean grinned widely, indicating he was kind of excited. "But most of this pent up energy is because we didn't get to fight for a whole month, nothing to do with kicking that guy's ass."

"Well remember that I'm the one kicking Uriel's ass, not you and this Christian." Castiel snorted derisively.

Dean shrugged, "We'll see."

It wasn't too long after, the two of them strolled down that hallway again toward the arena. Castiel took a breath and spread his wings, shoving the doors open with a certain strength he lacked the first few times. He and Dean could do this; he knew they could. Everyone was counting on them now, and if they weren't yet, they would be soon. Dean tilted his jaw up as he walked, noticing Christian was doing the same.

"Don't get too scared now, Chrissy." Dean sneered as he reached his side of the ring.

"We'll see who gets scared!" Christian shouted shaking a fist Dean's way.

Castiel looked up at Uriel and shook his hand, "Good luck."

"You as well." His brother replied in turn and they both stepped back to their rightful positions.

"Remember everyone! There is no out of bounds, we must reach a count of ten before your opponent is considered out!" The announcer called a little too excitedly into the microphone. He pointed an accusatory finger at Castiel as he shouted, as if it was expected the angel would be the one to break the rules.

Castiel only sneered at the human before taking a long, calm breath.  _'I hope Dean's ready.'_  He thought quietly.

' _More than you, it seems.'_  Dean's voice echoed in Castiel's head. The angel opened his eyes, not realizing they'd been closed, and discovered they stood in their bonding space again, Dean standing next to him with a smile.  _'Have a little faith in me.'_

Castiel blushed and kissed his partner's cheek,  _'I'm sorry. I hadn't realized I was being so difficult.'_

' _It's fine, Cas. We'll do awesome, don't even worry about it.'_  Dean grinned,  _'All of my training for the month went toward our bond so get read because things are going to get intense.'_

Castiel grinned,  _'Yeah? Well I think it's time for you to show me.'_

The loud bell rang above them, Castiel's eyes flashing white instantly as he burst forward, the glow hardly diminishing before he laid the first hit into Uriel. The larger angel wouldn't be so easy, however. He gripped Castiel by the hair and threw him out of the ring to tumble along the dirt floor, a long and rather deep skid mark left in his wake.

Castiel sat up, wiping a sliver of blood from the corner of his mouth as he slowly shifted onto his knees, a wide grin on his lips. "I'm surprised, Uriel. I thought you said you wouldn't hold back." Castiel was even surprised by the words, yes he'd been thinking them but when they came out of his mouth a hint of Dean's voice was mixed in with his own.

"Damn you," Uriel cursed, leaping forward with a beastly amount of strength.

Castiel narrowed his eyes, his wings rising and remaining high, and tense. Waiting until just the right moment, right before Uriel would make contact they came down in a mighty swing and hurdled Castiel up and over his brother's head.

"OH! And our blue-eyed beauty does it again! Castiel is one hell of a fighter, and check out his owner! Dean looks just as intense, I think even his eyes are glowing!" The announcer commentated ecstatically.

Uriel came at him again and again, each time too slow, and each time too weak. Castiel was toying with him, waiting for the right moment. Dean saw it before Castiel did, the opportunity to knock Uriel out without as much agonizing pain as would be expected in their situation. With Dean's guidance, Castiel managed to catch hold of Uriel's shirt-collar and yank him backward, swinging him about until Castiel could get a better angle on him.

With what looked like a simple strike to Uriel's gut, the larger angel suddenly froze, his eyes rolling back in his head just before he fell, landing with a heavy thud. Castiel dropped his arms and sighed, he hadn't a scratch on him but he was breathing a little heavier. In order to take Uriel down he'd used his own grace to knock Uriel's back. It was such a sudden and extreme force on something that normally was never hit; it knocked his brother out cold. He gulped in a little more air; by the time they finished counting to ten he'd almost completely recovered, himself.

"And Castiel wins! One more fight for Dean and his angel and they're off to Europe!"

Dean cheered and hopped onto the stage, pointing down at Christian, "In your face, douche!" He heckled with a laugh.

Castiel smiled and kissed Dean's cheek. He wanted to tell Dean how impressed he was, how much Dean had improved and how he'd taken control of the battle. Castiel hated to admit it but angels were born to take orders, they had a tough time without any. Being slaves was different, but Castiel wouldn't deny that he appreciated Dean's ability to take charge and make the decisions. He'd had so much trouble facing his siblings already, his mind torn in different directions and his body constantly hesitating. With Dean behind him, guiding his moves and putting his mind at ease, Castiel knew they could only do better from here.


	22. Chapter 22

The last fight was a joke, a cupid and his human stood between Dean and Castiel and a trip to Europe. The opposing team had skated through to the end, there were an odd number of teams and the owner of this angel was rich, therefore she paid her way as far as she was able. Castiel shook his head and glanced at Dean, "This will be simple."

"How can you be so cocky?" Dean furrowed his brow, "After all of the crap we've seen already, this team made it this far so obviously they-"

"No, I know this type of angel." Castiel smirked, his wings ruffling slightly, "He won't make a minute into the battle."

"And if he's got a great bond with his human?" Dean muttered.

"Won't matter." Castiel started walking toward the ring. Dean rolled his eyes and followed, hoping his angel wasn't letting anything get to his head.

The bell was rung and both angels stepped forward, or at least Castiel did. "You know we have to fight until one of us is unconscious," he spoke deeply, using as much of his throat as he could. This was enough intimidation for the cupid to take a breath and then suddenly pass out. No matter what his human screamed at him he was unable to stand up.

Castiel grinned and winked back at Dean who could only throw his head back in a laugh. The announcer stuttered for a moment, "Uh… Uh it looks like Dean and Castiel have won, folks… Wow, I did not see that coming…"

Dean pat Castiel's shoulder as the angel stepped down from the ring and over to his side, "Cas, you have no idea how much I love you right now."

Castiel blushed and nodded, "I have an idea…"

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Part of the crowd slowly erupted into a chant, which consumed most of the arena.

The two stared up and around, Castiel confused as to what the crowd would get out of it but his thoughts were cut short when Dean pulled him into a kiss, their lips pushing together and tongues slipping past the outer defenses. Castiel moaned into it, relaxing in Dean's arms. For a moment it was just the two of them, then the crowd burst into a cheer.

Castiel smiled when he pulled back, "You're an attention whore, you know that?"

"Yeah, maybe." Dean chuckled, "But you know you love me."

Castiel gave a quick peck in return, "Yeah yeah, get over yourself."

* * *

Over a month since the beginnings of the Freedom Fighters, over a month since Sam started something he didn't consider the enormous weight behind. They'd gotten a phone call from Dean, he and Castiel were going to Europe, they were going around the world as long as then tournament lasted. Which, for Sam, meant several months before he'd see his brother and angel again. Those tournaments could be dragged out for whatever reason the audience wanted, just like Dean had been gone for a month between tournament sessions 'training'.

Sam didn't want to spend too much time thinking about it. He'd heard from others in his group about the huge uproar that one angel had caused, one angel with blue eyes and black hair, a beauty to be sure. Sam smiled thinking about it, Castiel's attitude was refreshing, the way he demanded respect and refused to bend his knee.

"Sam?" A voice called behind him.

He spun to see Jess peering at him, her big eyes watching him curiously. "Yeah?" He smiled, finding that as much as everyone was starting to learn his name and join his cause, no one was really getting to know him. Though maybe that was just his teenaged brain pestering him.

"The others are ready whenever you are." She smiled back and headed down to the crowd of people Sam knew would be standing there. They'd taken to gathering at the park where there was a sort of large, fort-esque structure that Sam usually climbed into while he waited for the others. It was kind of like his commanding post, his people waited for him outside of it and never came in unless it was Jess or someone else telling him that everyone had gathered. It was nice, like he really was in charge of them and they respected him.

Sam took a deep breath and hopped down, landing on his feet and straightening up to face his Freedom Fighters. "Everyone's gotten the update, I assume." He called out to them, arms crossing over his chest. He was young, yes, he was still pretty small, yes, but that didn't stop him or anyone else from speaking out. "We're moving up, less little things and more impactful things. They don't know us well enough yet, or if they do they don't think we're worth anything. Our game has to be bigger, our name has to get out there and reach everyone who will stand with us. But, more importantly, our name has to reach those who stand against us."

A quick roar erupted from the Freedom Fighters, each throwing a fist in the air to show their support. Ideas had been thrown around for the last week; the update Sam had sent out via email explained their next task and what was expected of them. They were given the option to opt out this time, Sam wasn't screwing around and he intended to break a few laws to get the justice he knew was necessary.

This time their target was an entire shipment of angelic trapping supplies heading into Kansas City. They'd routed the semi-truck's path and had a plan to intercept it. This shipment carried the newest technology when it came to the angels, Sam had researched it and found that these items were less likely to break and would inevitably  _force_  the angel to listen when given a command. The collars, in particular, were the worst of the items. They had tiny needle-like points around the inside that would press into the angel's neck, the point was to break the skin and get inside. There were several types, one of the 'promising' ones was the collar that targeted the angel's grace, their soul equivalent.

Sam was rightly disgusted by the thought and had immediately started the planning to stop the nearest one to them. He planned on going after as many shipments as he could, but the one closest to him would be arriving within the next few hours. Best place to start.

The Freedom Fighters set out, securing their weapons and more importantly, the explosives to blow up the truck. Sam was in the leading vehicle, though not driving because he didn't have a license yet.

When they reached the truck stop they suspected they'd find their target at, Sam was pleased to see that the truck was alone in the parking lot, meaning the damage would be limited to the one load. He hopped out onto the asphalt parking lot and ran up to the big rig, smacking the side of it. He took another deep breath and put on the saddest expression he could muster (it seemed to work on his family well enough).

The door swung open and a large man peered down at him, at first with anger, and then sympathy as he took in Sam's dewy eyes. "What's wrong kid?"

"I… I can't find my brother." Sam whimpered pathetically, letting his voice shake, "I was wondering if you'd seen him?"

The trucker shook his head, "No, can't say that I have."

Sam sniffled and nodded, "Okay… Thanks mister…" He lifted his arms to hold himself as he started to walk away, looking around distantly.

The man hesitated then called back to him, "Just wait a sec, I'll help you find him."

Sam brightened but only a little, "Thank you, mister."

The Freedom Fighters watched quietly as Sam led the man around the other side of the truck stop, being sure to avoid getting his face caught by any cameras on the premises. As soon as they were out of sight, the Freedom Fighters took their cue and booked it to the truck, all wearing masks and gloves. Set up was quick; they'd practiced a few times for accuracy's sake. Everything was hooked up and ready in no time, Sam's friend Andy whistled loudly, their signal to tell their leader they were done and to make sure he was far enough away from the blasting zone.

Sam looked up at the man and smiled a little, "Sir, do you know what you're hauling?"

The man looked a little confused, "Well, yeah of course I do. Angel equipment."

Sam nodded slowly, "Yeah, basically. It's equipment to support the enslavement of angels, is that what you believe in?"

The trucker shook his head, "I don't stand one way or another on the issue. I'd rather steer clear of it."

"Good idea, and that's why I have to apologize." Sam lifted his fingers to his lips and whistled back to his team, to tell them he was safe and sound and they could blow it up at any time.

"Apologize for what?" The trucker frowned, rubbing his ear a little after the sudden whistle.

Suddenly an explosion ripped through the air, large enough that the shockwave shook them both. "That." Sam looked up at the pillar of smoke and smiled, hearing the screeching tires of his group. One truck skidded around to his side and he hopped in, "I'm sorry." Sam called out the window at the confused trucker, waving a little before pulling back inside the vehicle. "Okay, let's get the hell out of here." He glanced back at the flaming trailer.

* * *

"OH GOD WHY!" Dean whined desperately clinging to Castiel, holding onto his arm for dear life. "WHY WHY WHY!" He dragged his feet along the ground, Castiel's eyes staring forward completely unimpressed.

"Dean, suck it up and let's go." He growled, tired of dragging his feet and dragging his human.

"Why are you so evil!" Dean shouted to anyone in general, most eyes trailing in their direction.

To suit the rules of the competition, when travelling with the tournament Castiel had to wear the angel 'uniform' of white cloth, his wings out in the open. Someone shouting ' you're evil' combined with the fact that he was so obviously an angel caused for some strange stares. "Dean everyone's looking, just get on the goddamn plane…"

"Why do we have to fly there!" Dean whined some more, dropping his arms and flailing them dramatically. It was then that everyone realized that Dean wasn't hanging off of Castiel but being hauled by the angel's powers, Castiel didn't even have to touch him.

"Because, Dean. Those are the rules just deal with it." Castiel dragged Dean to his feet and forced him to walk. "Everyone already saw your freak out on camera, Dean. The world is aware of your fear of flying, so you can get on the plane now."

Dean struggled the whole way until Castiel forced him into the first class seat, dropping down beside him. As much as Castiel was enjoying being the strength between the two of them, he would have really appreciated Dean's assistance in this whole 'flying by plane' thing. He was nervous too, he'd never been on a plane before and he had no idea what the customers were, what he was supposed to do and what the reason behind all of it was. He'd been stopped several times by security or desk clerk or basically anyone who knew he was doing something wrong. It was frustrating and his nerves were starting to get the better of him, Dean acting like a child really didn't help.

"I don't like flying…" Dean snarled angrily.

"Well GET OVER IT!" Castiel shouted, his wings lifting in his rage. "I don't like having to be in a big metal flying thing either when I could just as easily –and much more quickly- get us there! I don't like having to deal with your stupid airport customs and rules! Some large man touching me all over because he's 'looking for a weapon'! Let me tell you something; I AM THE FUCKING WEAPON!" He poked himself in the chest rapidly before pointing at Dean, "And you, you big baby! Get over it! For the love of god and all that is holy, get the fuck over it! Do you know how scared I was when I was with you the first time? When your father trapped me? Any of it? I'm here and I'm fine so you will be too."

Dean suddenly felt like a complete ass, "Cas I…" He shook his head and moved to hug his angel, fingers running through the soft feathers on his back. "I'm so sorry, I didn't really consider your feelings. It's just I'm not used to flying, crashing scared the hell out of me."

"And you can't trust that I'll be there to catch you?" Castiel frowned, a small shudder running through him from the sensation in his wings.

"Fear isn't exactly rational." Dean smiled.

Castiel smirked, "Yeah well at least I'm not the one who was a big wuss on live TV."

Dean's expression flattened as he groaned from the thought of it, "Yeah… so much for my 'aloof champion of awesome' title."

"Like you were ever going to get it." Castiel poked at him playfully.

"Let's just watch the inflight movie and wait for Europe, okay?" Dean smiled, ruffling Castiel's feathers a bit more. His angel moaning, Castiel pressed his face against Dean's neck and inhaled lightly, taking in his lover's scent.

"Mm… okay." Castiel whispered softly.


	23. Chapter 23

"Get back here, angel!" A man shouted as the being in question booked it down the street, wings flapping up from his back, massive and beautiful wings. In a few easy thrusts he was air-born, frantic flaps carried him higher, awkwardly dragging him between buildings and around obstacles. His breathing came in harsh, ragged gasps, eyes searching frantically for somewhere safe. He'd been safe until now, before all of this.

Gabriel had tucked himself away on Earth long before Heaven was in jeopardy, before any of his siblings decided to descend. He was unknown to them, lived along side the humans like he was one of them. But after the tragedy up above, after the world realized angels existed and created technology to sniff them out, his safety net had vanished from around him, leaving him exposed. Now he spent his time running for his life, avoiding capture and by all means avoiding the people who worked for Crystal Wings. That torture factory in disguise was the last place he wanted to end up.

Sadly for him, those were the exact people on his tail now. He was Gabriel, an Archangel that was very well known among the biblical stories. He was almost as popular as Michael, or more than, he wasn't really sure since he didn't follow the battle series.

At this point he needed a way to save himself, a way he could possibly escape being caught by Crystal Wings. But nothing he could think of would escape their tools and equipment, not unless he was owned already and that defeated the purpose-!

Gabriel's eyes lit up, "That's it!" He laughed as he flew faster, hurdling through the air and far away from his pursuers.  _'I just have to find him.'_ He knew the name of a single human who fit the description of 'decent human who, even if he owned an angel, would never mistreat them.' Under that description Gabriel knew he'd be safe, from torment and humiliation alike, all he had to do was find the leader of the Freedom Fighters.

* * *

It was late and after all the praise Sam was hearing about Dean having made it so far in the battles he just wanted to sleep. He was tired of listening to something so stupid, it wasn't something that should be celebrated. He sighed and pulled the covers over his head, wishing he were somewhere else. The Freedom Fighters' last plan went off without a hitch; people got the message. Their name was known all over by now; people were starting to take them a little more seriously.

He looked up at the ceiling above him; he could hardly believe that he'd started this a month ago and how it had advanced this far. All those people listening to him, looking up to him like he was a revolutionary hero or something. It was strange to him; he was just a kid, a teenager of all things, who ever listened to teenagers? And he didn't look like a leader; he was thin, short, had a shaggy hair cut, and, as Dean had said numerous times, a lost puppy kind of look in his eyes. But people still respected him as their leader, the one who led the attack against the unholy treating of their angelic visitors.

' _I wonder why the angels came to us in the first place?'_ Sam thought sadly, remembering Castiel's face that first day.  _"Why? Why would you do this!"_  Sam had been in the house looking for everyone that morning when he heard the distressed cries. He remembered walking out the door to see a naked body with beautiful wings stretching out, and watching as they put a dark, ugly ring around the slender neck. The sick feeling in his stomach as he addressed his father, the knowledge that someone in his family actually went out and caught an angel, then someone did the part of enslaving it. He hated it, especially the reason why Dean wanted Castiel in the first place. It was disgusting and by no means forgivable.

He curled up and gripped his sheets in his balled fists, his teeth ground together in his anger. Sleep came fitfully to him, his mind racing and refusing to let him slumber peacefully so when his window was shattered he bolted upright in a panicked flail. His small frame was met suddenly by a full-grown body accompanied by a mess of soggy wings. Sam blinked incredulously, barely able to take in a breath.

It was a few moments later, after the odd scrambling to part, that Sam got a good look at who had just burst into his room. The large frightened eyes of the angel that stared back at him tugged at his heart much akin to the way Castiel had. Sam put his hands up immediately, "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, hoping to calm his guest.

"I know that, idiot." The angel snapped, "That's why I'm here. You're the leader of the Freedom Fighters, right?"

Sam nodded, taken aback a little but he didn't expect a great attitude. Hell, if he were an angel he'd be pissed off too. "My name's Sam."

"Gabriel," the angel answered breathlessly, getting up and waving a hand over the window, leaving it fixed and completely unharmed in his wake. "I need your help, Sam."

"Wait, Gabriel?" Sam smiled a little, "Like the archangel? What do you need? What can I do?"

"Yeah the archangel," Gabriel went back to Sam's bedside and dropped to his knees, taking the boy's hands in his, "I need you to own me."

Sam stared in shocked silence for what felt like minutes, watching the sincerity behind those eyes. "What?" He finally choked out, "Why?"

"Because, if you own me then no one else can." Gabriel explained, getting up and checking out the window again, "Crystal Wings is after me."

"Those bastards," Sam snarled, standing up. He paused and blushed at the realization that he was still wearing his pajamas, the ones his mom had picked out for him with the little bears all over. "But I can't put a collar on you, it'd be wrong-"

"I chose you because of your stance on all of this, Sam. You wouldn't hurt me, you wouldn't force me to do what you wanted against my will, and more importantly you wouldn't use me as a guinea pig for experiments. If you don't do this then those creeps out there will." Gabriel tried to sound confident but he was scared, he didn't want to end up like the others. "Please." He added softly.

Sam swallowed, "But I…" He understood why Gabriel was doing it, what he was afraid of and why he would do anything to avoid Crystal Wings. The way they treated angels, some of the images that Sam had seen had been revolting. Stripping their wings of feathers, even cutting the wings off. Reaching inside them and tearing apart their graces, leaving them to rot from the inside out. It was hideous and should be feared. But owning an angel? It went against everything he stood for.

"Sam,  _please_!" Gabriel cried, taking out a collar he'd stolen and placed it in Sam's hands. "I'm begging you, don't let them get me!"

"Okay." Sam answered strongly, his face hardening. "I'll do this to save you, I promise as soon as all of this is over and it's safe to do so, I'll set you free."

Gabriel nodded, counting on that last fact. "Thank you." He handed Sam a written copy of the binding spell. "I wrote that up for you."

Sam took a deep breath and read the incantation out loud, watching with a pain in his chest as a chain of light connected their glowing bodies, quickly vanishing into thin air. He put the paper down and looked up at Gabriel who looked utterly relieved, much different than Castiel's reaction, that high-pitched angelic cry that broke the glass on John's pickup truck. Sam reached around Gabriel's neck with the collar and clipped it in place, watching it force to the archangel's neck. "There," he whispered, "You're safe."

Gabriel dropped onto the floor with a relieved laugh; "Thank God!" he stretched out on the floor, his wings curling back into his body, away from sight. "I feel so much better," he sat up again and looked at Sam, "You're awesome, kid. And guess what? I'll even help with your Freedom Fighter gig."

Sam didn't want to lie, it'd be freaking amazing to have an angel's power on their side. "Thanks," he smiled. "So… now what?"

"Well I have some ideas that will help your cause," Gabriel smiled, "But it involves leaving home, think you can handle that?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded readily, though honestly he wasn't really sure.

As though he recognized the insecurities Sam unconsciously displayed, Gabriel climbed up into the bed again and hugged the teen, "Don't worry Sam, I'll be there to take care of you."

Sam rested against his angel and smiled, closing his eyes in comfort as he nodded. Something about Gabriel's touch was soothing, he felt much better now than he did when he tried to sleep before.

Gabriel was surprised to find that he really liked this kid; he was expecting the leader of the rebel group to be older, like old man kind of older. Someone who would normally be found accomplishing these kinds of goals; not a 14-year old boy. Sam was cute, with big, loving, naïve eyes, almost like a puppy. He pet his human's hair gently, holding Sam for what felt like a few minutes. He moved slightly then paused, hearing Sam's shallow breathing and noticing that the boy's body had gone mostly limp against him. Gabriel looked up at the alarm clock on Sam's dresser and realized it'd been a couple hours since he took the kid into his arms. Gabriel's jaw hung for moment, staring at the digital numbers in awe. He hadn't even noticed the time passing, too preoccupied with Sam.

The archangel chuckled to himself and held Sam just a little closer,  _'You might be a little more than I bargained for, kid…'_  He looked up as if to heaven, brow furrowed a little in confusion, "What are you doing?" he whispered softly.


	24. Chapter 24

The hotel in Madrid, Spain was fairly luxurious. They'd earned that right after having moved on this far in the world tournament. Castiel walked inside and nearly cooed over how soft the sheets were as he rolled in them, one piece of clothing hitting the floor at a time. Dean smiled, putting the rest of their bags down and walking toward the lithe, squirming body that was his boyfriend's. "Come here, baby." He reached over but Castiel rolled off the bed on the other side, a playful smile on his lips.

"Hold on," Castiel gave a little sashay of his hips, backing away toward the kitchen. "You have to earn this."

Dean grinned, "Is that how you want to play it?" He slipped his jacket off, dropping it onto the back of a chair, circling around the table, following Castiel.

The angel shrugged, never moving his gaze from Dean's, "If you can catch me, you can do me. But there's a catch,"

Dean's eyebrow twitched, excited by Castiel's tone, "Oh? What's that?"

"You have to fuck me wherever you catch me." Castiel gave his ass a little shake before bolting from the area, successfully around Dean. "And touching me doesn't count, you have to pin me."

Dean's grin widened, "You got it, sweet cheeks, but don't blame me if it gets a little rough." He darted after his nude boyfriend, the angel briskly avoiding every move Dean made. Several times he thought he'd cornered the little weasel but no dice, Castiel had hopped over the bed, ducked under and around everything he could manage to. Dean growled and, after a miraculous grab, caught Castiel's arm. He pushed his boyfriend down and pinned him to their kitchen table, Castiel's back pressed against the cold wood, staring up lustfully at Dean. "Got you." Dean breathed.

Castiel gasped gently, a light shudder running up his back. "You know the rules." He said in that gravelly tone that sent shivers all throughout Dean's body, including a distinct throb in his lower regions.

Dean leaned down and pressed his mouth against Castiel's, his tongue slipping past the defenses and battling Castiel's tongue for dominance, the angel giving in after a few moments. Their bodies moved together slowly, Dean bucking up against the soft skin of Castiel's ass, smiling as he listened to the soft cooing coming from his angel's throat.

"I said fuck me!" Castiel growled, gripping Dean's shoulders, pressing down and wriggling against Dean's cock.

"Calm down," Dean dropped his pants and licked his fingers, soaking them before slipping one into Castiel's eager anus, slowly swirling it in a circular motion, working it open. Castiel moaned and humped up, dragging his growing erection against the warmed, rigid flesh of Dean's abdomen. He brought his knees up, wrapping his legs around Dean's waist as a second and third finger were inserted into him, pushing in and out to ease him into the coming events.

Castiel dug his heels into Dean's sides, pulling him closer, "Come on… Come on…" He begged, a low whimper escaping him.

Dean smiled and pressed against Castiel's entrance, "Say please," he whispered.

"No, fuck me now." Castiel argued, still stubborn as ever.

Dean slammed in, striking Castiel's prostate with enough force to get a sharp cry out of him, "Okay, if you say so."

Castiel's legs tightened, his back arching on the table until he was resting on his shoulder blades. "OH god!" he shouted, eyes scrunched shut, squirming from the sudden pressure and beautiful sensation coursing through him. His mouth open though no sound managed to make it out as Dean continued to pummel his insides, ramming him hard enough that he couldn't focus on anything but the feeling.

Dean's smile widened, watching his angel wriggle and squirm on their table, hands grasping for something to cling to. Finally they found Dean again, holding tight as the man rode into him repeatedly, the rhythm slowing down for Castiel to enjoy it. Dean found a steady pace, enough weight behind his thrusts to spark Castiel into a scream every now and then yet gentle enough to get the soft mewling sounds he loved so much. "That's it baby," he whispered softly, hand sliding down between Castiel's legs to massage the hardened flesh there, getting a light squeak in response. He ran his thumb over the tip, wiping away the moisture gathering there and bringing it to his mouth, sucking slowly on his thumb for Castiel's amusement.

The angel whined, bucking up for more, his hips shifting uncomfortably from the stinging pain in his blood-swollen weight. "Oohhhh… please…"

"What do you want?" Dean whispered gently, stroking and rubbing his angel's cock.

"More… I want more" Castiel whimpered, thrusting upward, shivering slightly from the slowly warming table.

Dean didn't wait much longer to oblige his partner, fucking him a little harder and a little deeper, his hand sliding up and down Castiel's shaft faster and his fingers squeezing out more and more of the sweetened fluids he wanted to taste again. Several moments later he had the wanted outcome, Castiel crying out in ecstasy, wrapped tightly around his waist while resting against the table.

They gasped as they came down together, the skin between them sloppy and slick, their breath creating small bits of condensation on the other's face, kissing lazily, passionately. Castiel gasped and relaxed back onto the table, his chest rising and falling excessively. "You…" he breathed, "are still incredible at that."

Dean smiled and rested on Castiel's chest, reveling in the sticky mess between them. "Thanks, though I love that your ass doesn't lose any of that elasticity, as tight as the first time."

Castiel smiled back and kissed Dean again before closing his eyes, "I'm an angel, of course it's still there, fucking me should be heavenly." He laughed a bit with a sigh. "Or something like that."

"Right, well we've got a week in this city before our next fight starts up. Wanna check out our competition?" Dean pet Castiel's hair as he slowly pulled out, peering down to watch his come drip out of his baby's ass.

"Not really," Castiel spoke with a hint of a whimper, starting to sit up again. "I know they'll be angels, I don't need the feeling of panic knowing who it'll be."

Dean nodded and took Castiel's hand, leading him to the bathroom for their unspoken shower. "Makes sense, mind if I watch some of the highlights?"

"Go ahead, just don't tell me much about it, and watch it quietly." Castiel sighed, turning the water on and wincing from the sudden cold sensation.

"You got it," Dean pressed Castiel against the wall of the shower and nibbled on his ear, "Want anything else?"

Castiel chuckled and gave his hips a slow sway, "Not tired of me yet?"

"Never." Dean thrust lightly against Castiel's backside, humping him against the water sleek tile.

Castiel let out a subtle giggle and bucked backward again, "Alright, you can have my ass if you want it."

A grin was the only part of Dean that shifted before he got to work on Castiel again.

* * *

It'd been a few days since he'd acquired his angel; Gabriel had been very amusing and for some reason Sam couldn't stop thinking about him. Sam had agreed to Gabriel's idea, he left home to get a better shot at making a bigger impact on the world with his Freedom Fighters. He didn't quite see it yet though, so far all that he'd accomplished was causing mass mayhem back in Lawrence, a lot of families were missing members and most of the freedom fighters that had left went without telling anyone. They couldn't very well say 'I'm with that crazy activist group' without being linked to several crimes.

He sighed, walking into the warehouse that his team had assembled in, had taken over. They needed a base, that much he knew for certain. They'd moved to the biggest city most influenced by the Angel training accessories, the same one that Crystal Wings had its headquarters in. Sam wouldn't say he was excited about this, despite the obvious smile he'd had when they first arrived. He couldn't wait to start working in the bigger world of what he'd started, to finally make a dent. People would hear of them now, people would care. And after Gabriel joined them, he knew there was nothing in the world that could stop them.

As Sam stood staring into space, Gabriel approached behind him, unsure of what to say. He hadn't spent a ton of time with younger boys like Sam; everything that had happened since he met Sam was different… He couldn't explain the odd feeling that came over him every time they were close.

Gabriel had more worldly experience than Sam; he knew the odd feeling he just didn't know how to explain why it was there. His best guess was a thought that disturbed him, that there was no way he of all people would feel that way about a young man. But he had to know for sure.

Sam's spaced out expression jolted back to reality when he felt a warm hand slide up his stomach, under his shirt. Slender fingers tracing the different crevices of his torso as they trailed up, sending shivers to run rampant down his spine. Sam gasped lightly and shuddered backward into the touch, his mind instantly recognizing who it was and falling into complete cooperation with it. He uttered a soft whimper as Gabriel's fingers found an erect nub on his chest, circling it and rubbing it gently.

"Gabriel?" Sam breathed, his body tingling. "What are you doing?"

"I needed to know." Gabriel smiled, whispering into his human's ear, causing more shivers to shake Sam muscles, another gasp shuddering from him. "And so far I like it."

Sam blinked a few times, trying to focus past the blush and the new sensations he was feeling. "Is this…"

"This is fine, Sam." Gabriel's smile widened when he felt a different connection shine between them, he could feel Sam closer than he'd felt any other human, it went beyond the physical.  _'This is that bond that the battle angels make with their owners to fight better, I can see the perks.'_

Gabriel lifted Sam up and in a flash had carried him to their shared room, door closed behind them. One of his hands had already explored down past Sam's pants, groping the twitching lump beneath a layer of slowly dampening cloth. His grin widened, listening to the sounds his touch elicited, enjoying the squirming bundle in his arms. "Can you feel it, Sam?"

Sam gasped out another moan, thrusting up into his angel's perverted hand, "I'm feeling a lot of things…" He whispered breathily, glancing up at Gabriel.

The archangel paused his hand and pushed the mental feeling until Sam's eyes widened.

_Sam blinked several times, finding himself in a strange floating space, the world around him familiar and yet completely new to him. He wasn't really standing on anything yet he wasn't falling either, there were two paths before him, one was behind a dark haze while the other appeared clear, a bright figure standing at the other side. Sam felt his legs moving toward it, a light and comfortable feeling washing over him._

_At least until everything in this other worldly space froze in time, even the glowing, winged figure._

" _Don't fret precious, I'm here."_

_Sam looked around, the voice shaking his body. "Hello?"_

" _Step away from the window, go back to sleep."_

" _Who's there?" Sam called out._

" _They don't give a fuck about you like I do…" The last three words echoing as they faded into the darkness of the other path. Sam felt himself shudder, an ache in his chest gripping him until he hit his knees, head forced down to see the world below him, angels marching to their deaths in a line, shackles around their necks linked to the next by a chain. "Go back to sleep." The deep voice chanted until it too faded, a strong and violent shout replacing it. "Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go To Sleep. GO TO SLEEP. GO TO SLEEP!" It became loud enough to shatter the image below him and he fell._

_Again his eyes widened, he was still standing on the strange ground but this time there was only one path when he looked up. The winged being much closer to him than before. "Gabriel?" Sam whispered as he walked closer, his heart pounding. "What's going on?"_

" _This is our bond, we just need to touch and our connection will be stronger. We'll work better together." Gabriel replied softly, feeling the sudden distress emanating from Sam's consciousness._

_Sam nodded, his mind reeling back to reality, confused but focusing. "Like Dean and Cas did… I get it." He reached forward and took Gabriel's hand, marveling at how beautiful the archangel was in this light. Gabriel smiled and pulled Sam into him, their bodies connecting in a calm, soothing embrace. Sam shook slightly for a moment, tears coming to his eyes as he closed them, "Thank you…" He whispered, curling into his angel._

_Gabriel caressed Sam, "It's okay, this isn't a bad thing."_

_Sam wasn't sure if he could explain what had happened moments ago, but his worry soon vanished, the lucidity of the moment evaporating like the fleeting memory of a dream._


	25. Chapter 25

Dean smiled, watching the opening ceremonies for the next part of the tournament. They were celebrities already and they had barely made it to the next stop in the World Tournament. Since they'd opened their minds and fully understood their bond, they'd soared in the arena. Dean knew different angel battle strategies from watching it so often on TV, but Ash had helped him perfect it, had helped teach him how to apply his knowledge to real life. Castiel's suffering during that month hadn't been for nothing, his effort showed through drastically. He'd barely been able to take a single hit when they started the first round, they hadn't had a chance to truly test it out but Dean knew for a fact that they wouldn't have a problem.

The start of the activities in Madrid was colourful, to say the least. Dean couldn't stop watching the show put on by the city, despite being the center of attention. There were dancers, street performers, crowds, and there was even a small parade. Obviously Madrid was very happy to be hosting this section of the World Tournament this year. The WT was just like the Olympics in that way, hosted in different countries each time it comes around. Except, to make it more exciting, the WT changed cities after each round. Dean had seen the opening ceremonies in several cities over the last few years that he'd been following the Angel Battles and each city tried to out do the last. It made for a great show.

Today was the start of round one; Dean could hardly believe that they'd been involved with the preliminaries back in Denver, beating out the Central American competition. Only part of preliminaries and they were already a popular team, they were, after all, the underdogs in this year's World Tournament. Castiel was a name no one had heard before and after several instances with the announcer in Denver and the camera crew, Castiel was already known as a rebellious creature. Someone to watch, someone to root for depending on what you were in favour of.

Castiel wasn't having as much fun as Dean, not that he wasn't enjoying himself or anything, he spent those first opening ceremonies staring at the odd customs laid out before him. There were humans doing odd things all over the place, none of the actions were in his list of 'definable' or 'understood.' It was odd to see humans acting so strangely; part of him was disgusted but the deeply nested, hopeful and naïve angel within him watched with wonder. Before their capture and enslavement, Castiel had wanted to know humans, wanted to meet them and watch them. He had been enthralled with humankind back then, back before all of this.

Another thing that Castiel couldn't help but notice, there were no angels among the performers, just humans. Any angels in the vicinity were standing on a moving platform as it headed straight for the stadium where he'd be facing his brethren in mortal combat. Cameras snapped all over, catching their expressions, capturing how they reacted in that moment and keeping the image forever. Castiel glared down at the next photographer, an icy look that he hoped would make it into the next newspaper. He looked up again, ignoring the paparazzi as his eyes trailed along the angels in their midst.

He recognized them all, of course. They were his family once, now they'd be out for his head. He looked to the despicable humans standing nearby, his heart pounding in his ears. There were so many angels here, more on this one platform than he'd seen in years. Tears welled up in his eyes as he took in their faces, the ones he could see at least. So many were as neutral as they could be, stone cold to the world and any feelings they'd ever had in their lifetimes. It hurt to see it, to see what they'd become compared to only memories of what they were. Castiel turned toward Dean and hid his face from the others, his forehead resting on his human's shoulder.

"Cas?" Dean whispered, an arm coming up and around Castiel's shoulders. Castiel didn't have to say anything for Dean to know, he held his angel closer and kissed the top of his head. "This is what we're here for, they are your reason. What you see now is more than enough support for your cause, Cas."

Castiel nodded, exhaling steadily before straightening up again. "Thank you."

Dean smiled in return, facing forward again.

* * *

The set up for the competing teams was different in the Madrid Arena; each team had a breakout room to retreat to before and after their fight. There was a television on the wall tuned in to the Angel Network; there was a mini-fridge stocked with beverages, a small dining set and a couch. It wasn't big but it was private. When it was a team's turn to fight they were to move to the arena doors where they'd make their entrance once announced. Dean figured that most of the stadiums were set up the same way, a space for them to chill out and of course the big doors that flew open when they were up to fight.

Castiel flopped onto the couch in their room and groaned out a sigh, ignoring the teams that were fighting in the first match-ups. He didn't need to see that right now, especially on a stupid TV set in their break room. "Ready?" Dean walked over and leaned down to touch his nose to Castiel's.

"I guess… We have a low-ranked opponent to fight first, except if they got this far then they must have a strong bond with their human." Castiel dropped his arm over his eyes, hand lazily swatting at Dean's cheek, "It will probably be tougher than we expect."

"Regardless, we're stronger." Dean leaned back and headed to the mini fridge, "We beat Uriel and Chrissy that other time, shouldn't be too tough."

Castiel rolled his eyes, "Well we're up next so get that cocky attitude in check before we go. Expecting victory is arrogant but underestimating your opponent is just plain stupid."

"First," Dean raised a finger toward Castiel, "I'd call it confidence. And second, I'm not underestimating them, you're underestimating us."

Castiel sat up, he knew Dean was right. They were an amazing team; just because they didn't have experience behind them like others might didn't change that. "You're right," Castiel smiled and sighed lightly, "We'll do just fine."

"That's the spirit," Dean grinned.

Within the hour they were called to the stadium doors, Dean took a deep breath to puff out his chest before strutting into the arena, lights shining in his face, cameras catching every movement. Castiel's wings fluttered open; he'd almost forgotten the rule. Part of the crowd rumbled for them, cheering, jeering, Castiel couldn't really make it out. There was just a big wall of sound coming at him. But after a few moments he realized that his name was being chanted again, several angels had stood in the stands and shouted until they were no longer able.

Castiel lifted a hand to wave, his eyes lighting up at their recognition of his cause. "Thank you, my brothers, sisters." He said.

The fight was under-way quickly, same rules as last time except they were a little more drastic. This time serious wounds were encouraged, the audience wanted to be entertained. This was the World Tournament, after all.

Castiel started it with a bang, apologizing right before the battle began for what he'd have to do. His wings blew back and blasted forward with gale-force strength, sending his opponent hurdling out of the ring and tumbling along the arena floor. Castiel burst after him, his arms raised ready to strike. He lashed out for what looked like a few seconds; to him it felt much longer than that. He'd beaten his brother down into the ground, had knocked him out cold with the sheer force of his swings.

One angel perched over the other, wings flared up slowly lowering into a sad droop as the first stood, leaving his brother in the ground, awaiting the count. Dean's brow turned up as he watched Castiel's low hanging wings, the low slope of his shoulders. The strikes were quick and in most of the right places to take their opponent down swiftly. Castiel's brother didn't suffer but that didn't change what he'd done to him.

"Dean and Castiel are the winners!" The ref cheered into her mic, almost too enthusiastically. "That was a quick one, folks. For those who didn't see it, let's slow that down on our new slo-mo screen!"

As the large screen above them replayed the 30-second fight, Castiel lifted his brother into his arms and carried him to his owner. He handed the angel over silently before walking back toward Dean and out of the arena entirely. He didn't care to stand and listen to the announcers and camera people.

Dean ran after him and pat his shoulder, "Not so bad for a first day in Madrid." He smiled, trying to lighten Castiel's mood.

Of course it didn't work, "Not so bad? Did you see what I did to my brother!"

"Well it looked okay to me, Cas. You didn't hurt him much-"

"Imagine pummeling Sam into the dirt to the point he's unconscious within a few seconds! Does that sound okay to you!" Castiel shouted, slamming his fist into the nearest wall.

Dean calmly touched his hands to Castiel's cheeks, leaning in to touch their noses again, "It's not okay, I know that. None of this is and that's why we're here. I'm just trying to clear you conscience, Cas. You have to do this to help them."

Castiel trembled for a moment before pressing himself into Dean's arms, burying his face in the crook of Dean's neck, sobbing lightly.

Dean held his angel for the next few minutes until a loud ring echoed down the hall. His phone was going off. Dean lifted it up to check the display, Home. He answered, "Hello?"

"Dean," it was John's voice, "I know you're in the middle of something right now but this is something we have to tell you right away."

"Okay… Dad what happened?" Dean didn't like the tone his father was using, like someone had been rushed to the hospital or something.

"…" Silence.

"…" Dean waited.

"…"

"Dad-"

"Sam's missing." John finally said after a long breath.

"What!" Dean shouted, his heart skipping a beat in his chest, "When! What do we know? Was he taken or did he leave-"

"We don't know, Dean. I'm pretty sure he left on his own, but the things that are missing from his room are also things he could have been walking around with at a given time." John sighed, "There isn't anything you can do from there right now but you deserve to know."

Dean was silent for a long time before he nodded, "Yeah…" he said quietly, "Thanks dad… let me know if you find anything out, okay?"

"Of course."

Their conversation ended right there, Dean lowered his phone slowly, staring down at the floor. Castiel looked at him curiously, "What happened?"

Dean looked up at him with tear stained eyes, "Sam's missing."


	26. Chapter 26

"Dean, I'm sure Sam is fine." Castiel put his arms around Dean's shoulders, trying to comfort him for the last few hours.

"How do you know?" Dean blurted out worriedly, his frustration clear in his voice. "Sam's 14! He's not… He's not built for running around on his own, and if he's not doing it on purpose then there's no way he's okay because then he'd be kidnapped!"

"Sam's a very headstrong individual," Castiel said solidly, he's not as weak as you seem to think he is."

"And  _you_  never wrestled with him! Sam's not physically capable, Cas. He's smart, and hopefully that'll be enough."

"Then that's what we hope for, Dean." Castiel spoke quickly before Dean could say anything else. "We're amazing out there, you understand me? We can't go looking for Sam, he'll have to do this on his own."

"Cas… he's my-"

"Your brother, I know." Castiel cut him off, "What do you think I'm fighting for you? We're both stuck, nothing either of us can do until we finish this so we might as well continue."

Dean nodded, not wanting to push his angel's buttons again. After all, Castiel was right, he was beating his brothers into the ground and at that moment, there really was nothing he could do about it. "Let's rest." Dean sighed, his head hanging low. He couldn't just write Sam off like that, not Sammy, his mind was a storm of thoughts and worries. Gentle hands stroking him and pulling him into a strong embrace was the best thing he could have asked for, Castiel held him as he nodded off to sleep, breathing in the soft scent his angel had acquired.

* * *

The battles in Spain weren't too difficult but overall they took a great deal of time, there were still so many teams left to fight. Dean and Castiel spent a lot of their time watching other battles or, since Castiel didn't like to do that too much, walking around Madrid and seeing the sights. It wasn't long before they'd be heading out to the new location. Dean and Castiel were champions, never losing and it seemed like they almost never cut it close. They were allowed one loss during each round; Dean and Castiel had won three battles in Spain meaning they moved on to the next round indefinitely. The world had recognized Castiel's defiance, some made fun of him, others didn't care, but there was always and underlying curiosity. Would that angel be able to come through with his promises? What did he have in mind? Fear was always a part of the mockery, none of which fazed Castiel.

They entered the train that would take them to another arena in Milan, Italy. In this arena they'd only be staying for half the next round, after that it was off to Athens in Greece by tour bus. Once the round was completed in Athens they'd be in Mumbai, India, after which they'd be fighting in the semi-finals in Osaka, Japan. Following all of that they'd head back west to Moscow in Russia.

Dean could hardly believe he was doing this, that he was part of such a large tournament so early on in his life. It was astounding and hard to believe he hadn't even met Castiel a year ago. How much he'd changed in the last half year alone… From wanting an angel to own and to use for himself, to wanting only Castiel as a person, as his boyfriend and lover. It made him smile, feeling less and less concerned about where Sam was. Yet at the same time it had been over a month since Sam's disappearance, since his little brother vanished without a word, without any sign of his return. Dean's stomach still wouldn't let him sleep some nights.

Castiel looked out the train windows, smiling softly at the scenery slipping past them. The Earth was beautiful. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the glass, listening to the hum of the train as he dozed off until their next destination. He and Dean had never been closer than they were now; they had the strongest bond anyone had ever seen at their level. Castiel didn't doubt that the remaining angels had powerful connections as well. He knew for a fact that waiting for them in Moscow at the end of all this was Michael and his partner Bella. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they'd mastered their bond. Combined with Michael's strength as it was, Castiel worried for their chances.

The welcoming for them wasn't as spectacular in Italy as it had been in Spain; these weren't the opening ceremonies, after all. They were ushered to their hotel first thing; Castiel wandered to their bed and sat down, stroking the silky fabric absently. They weren't even half way through this world tournament yet; Castiel took a deep breath and flopped into the sheets to relax. His eyes remained closed, even as Dean strolled around the hotel room, making a ton of noise as he rustled through different cabinets and the mini-fridge.

They remained quiet until nightfall, soft whispers exchanged before 'I love you' was uttered between them. Curling together beneath the blankets seemed to keep the cold out well enough for them to sleep comfortably.

Their first fight was a little tougher but they managed to outsmart the other team and beat them into submission. They had a week to spare in between their battles and they spent it together, practicing, training; yet their progress had seemed to peak. Castiel threw his arms up in defeated rage before dropping into the grass with a huff, "It's no use, we're as strong as we're going to get…"

Dean walked over and looked down at him, "Well doesn't that mean we'll win no problem?"

"No!" Castiel shouted back at him, glaring up from his spot on the ground, "It means we're dead if we make it to the finals. Michael will be there, the archangel, the strongest angel we have. He'll cream me against the wall with a sneeze, Dean."

"Don't give up Cas, there's always room for improvement." Dean smiled at the sour look he received for that comment, "Something that Sam used to say to me, it was about school work but it applies here too; 'If you think you've gone as far as you can, you aren't trying hard enough.'"

Castiel's expression softened, he could see Sam saying something like that, those bright hazel eyes glowering at him scoldingly. Castiel smiled and started to get up, "Regardless we should take a break… I want a cheeseburger."

Dean laughed, "Alright… Let's see if they have an American styled place around here?"

"Why?" Castiel tilted his head curiously, "I want to try an Italian cheeseburger."

Dean laughed harder, clapping his angel on the shoulder, "Oh Cas," he snickered, trailing off with an amused sigh, "No you don't."

Castiel scrunched his face in confusion as Dean led him into town.

* * *

During their week Dean wanted to impress Castiel, he wanted to show him around Milan and let him see all the things that were there to be seen. First Dean took Castiel to the church of Santa Maria della Grazie to see Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper'. It was an amazing painting; Dean had struggled to get their 15-minute slot of time to see it. He wanted his angel to realize that not all humans had acted this way toward angels and likewise the religious figures and stories that angels accompanied.

Castiel stood in front of it and almost laughed. Dean looked at him with a curious face but all the angel could do was hold his sides and laugh. "Wh-what! What is that!" Castiel stuttered out hysterically.

"It's the Last Supper, one of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings on…" Dean stopped explaining, the more he said the louder and harder Castiel laughed. "Cas, it's a national treasure-!"

Castiel fell onto his rear with a thump before falling onto his back and rolling side to side, holding his midsection and kicking his legs futilely. Dean's flat, unimpressed expression curled up into a smile, he wanted to be angry that his attempt to show Castiel their religious paintings and cultures and stuff was scoffed and laughed at. But he couldn't be angry, not with his boyfriend rolling around on the floor in hysterical laughter.

After some food Dean took Castiel to see the Duomo of Milan, they took the lift to the roof to look out over the city. Dean took in a deep breath of the crisp air, stepping to the edge and looking out at the beautiful scenery below him. "Isn't this amazing, Cas? We're so high up…"

Castiel glanced over and nodded a little, "Yeah I suppose, though I could have flown us higher if you wanted to look down at the city like this."

Dean felt like he'd been punched in the gut with how nonchalantly Castiel had taken in the view. Though he should have known that Castiel wouldn't be so impressed by the height. "Isn't the building beautiful though?"

"I remember what it looked like when it was first built, I watched from Heaven after they'd finished it. It was beautiful then… Now it's just… old and kind of run down in comparison."

Dean frowned. "Alright then."  _'I'm going to make his day with something in this damned city!'_  he thought determinedly.

Dean figured he'd try his hand in the Rectangle of Gold, the market place where a lot of the beautiful fashions of Italy were on display. Milan was, after all, a haute couture powerhouse. However Castiel was indifferent about the clothing. "I didn't know you were into fashion…" He muttered, looking bored at the colourful patterns and unique styles.

They then went to try Milanese cuisine, Dean knew that Castiel enjoyed eating and thought attempting something new would be good for his angel, maybe even fun. It was during their visit to an authentic, real Italian restaurant, that Dean discovered how picky Castiel was about his food. Nearly everything the angel tried he ate half of then shoved aside, some he only tasted a little before spitting it back. Dean's eyebrow twitched, his patience running thin and frustration bubbling in his stomach.

Castiel didn't appreciate shopping, he didn't care long enough to stare at art (or he'd just laugh at it), wasn't impressed by the old buildings and monuments in the area. Dean was at a loss. He finally took Castiel's hand tiredly and led him to a 'Venice experience' that evening, Milan wasn't Venice but it still had canals and Dean had managed to swing a private little cruise on the quiet waters. He helped his angel into the little boat and stepped in beside him, smiling and caressing Castiel's hand.

The angel looked around at the water and glanced back at the man with a long stick, steering them around. "What are we doing?"

"Getting some quiet time," Dean gripped Castiel's hands a little tighter, "Cas… Do you know why I dragged you all over the city today?"

Castiel shook his head, "I figured it was because you wanted to sight-see."

"No, I wanted to show you things, to do things with you and experience things with you. I wanted you to see that not everyone is as awful as you imagine them to be, that not everything on Earth is the same everywhere you go. There are more people who don't approve of what's happened to angels than you know of; combined with the people who don't care one way or the other, they outnumber those who'd rather imprison you. There are even fewer people who want to hurt you. Cas I wanted to show you that there's hope for angels, and there's no reason for you to lose faith in what we're doing."

Castiel shifted and faced Dean, leaning in closer and kissing his boyfriend, taking in Dean's dry lips and wetting them with his tongue before backing away again. He smiled shyly, not sure what to say at this moment. Dean had put so much thought into this day and he'd done nothing but complain and basically ruin every moment Dean had tried to prepare. "Thank you, Dean." He whispered, starting to feel the ambiance of their little boat ride together.

Dean sighed lightly with a smile, pulling Castiel closer and kissing him slowly, letting the moment sink in before trailing those kisses down his angel's neck. "I love you, Cas."

Castiel gasped quietly, shivers running down his back from the warmth in his nape of his neck. "I love you too." He ran his hands up Dean's sides and caressed the muscle there. "When we get back, I want you to do everything to me." He growled low, shifting his weight against Dean.

Dean grinned and nodded, "You got it, baby."

Their night went much better than expected and the remainder of their free week was spent in much better spirits. They woke early on the day of their fight and practiced a little bit before heading to the arena, they didn't want to start it off rusty.

Castiel stepped into the ring with a confident stroll, watching the other team approach, his eyes catching every detail cautiously. He only knew one angel with black wings, the angel of Death named Azrael, known by many other names but that was the one her owner was going with. She was an archangel as well; Castiel knew this wouldn't be an easy fight.

Azrael lifted her head and surprised her brother with a wide grin, her wings – much larger than his – spread out when she took in his sight. "Castiel!" She chirped, hopping up to meet him, a little too enthusiastic for Castiel's liking. "It's been a while."

Castiel found that this was a greeting he was getting often these days. Though from Azrael it was extra-odd. He'd never spoken to her, they hadn't really crossed paths often enough for her to recognize him on sight. She must have seen him on the news, he decided. "Indeed, sister. I'm sorry to see you under the circumstances."

She nodded, a hand coming up to tuck her silky black hair behind her ears and out of her face, though several strands slid back again. "Yeah… Well guess we'll have to make the best of it."

Castiel agreed, recalling what he knew of her fighting style. She was a defensive angel, mostly. Her attacking strength wasn't terribly impressive compared to other archangels, but it was much harder to hurt her than would be expected from such a slender frame. "Good luck."

The bell rang and Castiel was sent flying from the ring almost instantly, Azrael's wings forcing him airborne just before she took off after him. She knew her strengths and yet went for him offensively anyway. She had a better understanding of Castiel's bond than the others seemed to. She knew that a prolonged fight wouldn't end in her favour, her human would give up their connection long before Dean would.

The fight still seemed to hurdle on for hours, Castiel doing all he could to knock her down but she kept getting up. As the fight raged on Castiel was looking worse and worse, his breathing coming in harder gasps as his wings fought to keep going. Dean was doing perfectly fine, despite his nerves watching Castiel take a beating. He'd been stuck training for days on end when he was with Ash for that month, he could handle prolonged fights, he just wasn't sure if he could handle watching Castiel get hit like that.

Azrael pinned Castiel to the arena floor in the center of the ring, standing on the base of Castiel's wings and pressing them down. He squirmed frantically under her strength, grasping at her legs, trying to throw her off. She raised her hands and aimed them at him, a bright light glowing just a little past her palm, launching forward just as quickly as it had appeared.

In the flash moment as the holy bomb shot toward his face, Castiel let loose an angelic shriek, his hands flying up and catching the destructive ball. He threw it back in her face, sending her flying away from him, off his wings. He struggled to get up; his wings were sore and felt like lead when he tried to lift them. Castiel looked up to see that Azrael was flat on her back against the arena wall, not moving. He felt his heart in his throat, the beating loud enough he thought the referee could hear it.

As soon as they counted ten Dean launched himself into the ring and to Castiel's side, coddling his angel in his arms, "Cas, Cas are you okay?"

Castiel looked up at Dean and opened his mouth slowly to say something though a small whimper took his words' place. Black was encroaching on his vision as it blurred, and as he attempted to speak again, it over-took him, his limbs dropping limply and head lolling it one side.

"CAS!" Dean shook him, his heart nearly stopping at the feeling of how loosely Castiel was hanging in his arms. Tears flooded his eyes, "Come on, Cas! Come on!" he shook his angel again, knowing there was no use to it. Dean sniffled pathetically, a weak grunt escaping him as he held his lover closer, pressing Castiel as far into him as he could without crushing. Dean buried his face against Castiel's neck, the angel's dead-weight head rolling slightly from the movement. "Cas…"


	27. Chapter 27

Dean gripped Castiel's hand the first day, sitting beside his bed and waiting for him to wake with hopeful pleas. He washed Castiel's face with a warm cloth, then the rest of him. Taking special care around his wounds and along the sensitive skin of his cock, soft and limp even under the gentle touch of Dean's hands. Dean knew Castiel liked to sleep naked so he kept the clothing off of him after bathing him, Castiel's limbs barely shifting as Dean ruffled the bedding. Dean couldn't sleep that night; he remained beside his angel, losing time in staring at the skin that hid those beautiful blue eyes from him.

The second day Dean ate a little though he couldn't finish. He ran his hand through Castiel's hair over and over, stroking his jaw, running his thumb over Castiel's lips and noticing how dry they were. Dean kissed him and sobbed at the lifeless feeling.

The third day he slept through most of it and cried through the rest of it.

The fourth day merged with the fifth and before Dean knew it he'd sat/slept the rest of it away. Everything felt heavy and he could hardly lift his head, his mind barely leveled as he groaned into consciousness.  _He rubbed his eyes slowly; trying to focus his vision on what he knew would be the same sight. He yawned and again wiped his eyes looking up at the bed. He startled backward when he came nose to nose with Castiel's gaunt, pale face. Sunken blue eyes, shallow and pained stared at him for seconds as he tried to catch his breath. Castiel parted his lips, dry and cracked, and instead of speaking it just hung open in a haunting gaping hole, a ghastly whine uttered up from his throat._

_"Cas" Dean gasped though he found that his voice hardly worked. "Cas-" His angel's hand gripped his throat, shot up from the withering body wrapped in warping sheets._

" _ **Dean... I can't wake up."**_

_Dean gulped in air weakly, his limbs shaking. The sound of the voice that came from Castiel's throat was hideous, grinding and monstrous. He couldn't look at his angel, not with that sound coming from him._

" _ **I'm disconnected. You need to find me."**_

_Castiel's eyes glowed strangely, flickering like he wasn't really there and this wasn't really him. Dean squirmed, fear shuddering through him. 'This is Castiel, look at him.' He forced himself to look into the dying expression on his lover's usual beauty. "Cas, I don't understand."_

" _ **Come inside, you need to wake me. Call my name Dean, I need to hear you there. I can't wake up; I need your life, SAVE ME."**_

_Castiel's hand tightened its grip on him, Dean struggled to wiggle free from the death hold but he could not break away. The last thing he heard was the echoing snap of his spine ringing loudly in his ears._

_**CRACK!** _

Dean sat upright, his body flailing wildly until he slowly got a grip over himself, looking around the room quickly. It had been a bad dream. He sighed and ran a hand up through his matted hair, unsure of what to make of what he'd just seen. Was it real? He looked down at the unmoving flesh that belonged to his lover, seeing immediately the difference in his complexion. "Cas…" Dean whispered, tears coming to his eyes again. "What can I…?" he paused and stared, his heart beating solid, painfully strong. He went to the bathroom, showered and went to Castiel's side again, taking his hand and squeezing it. "I'm coming for you, baby."

* * *

_He held his knees close, tears rushing down his cheeks as he scanned his immediate area. "Hello?" He called again for what felt like the millionth time. He could feel someone there, he could feel them touching him, tugging on him and dragging through him. He could smell them; he knew they were there when he heard a raging heartbeat. Someone was watching him, wanted him… Hands on him ever other moment he could recognize._

_Currently there was nothing. Nothing and no one. Was there ever anyone there or had he imagined it? "Hello!" he shrieked, his throat hoarse and growing increasingly raw with each shout. Still no one answered him. He was all alone._

" _So when I'm crying alone, when I'm cold as a dying stone…_   _Grow me a garden of roses, Paint me the colors of sky and rain. Teach me to speak with their voices, show me the way and I'll try again…" Castiel sang to himself a song he'd learned from his brother Balthazar, keeping himself calm and trying to keep his fears in. Tears glistened on his cheeks, feeling almost like they were frozen there, hardened to his face like streaks of icicles._

_He sniffled and clung to himself tighter, lowering his head as darkness swarmed over him, "Dean…"_

* * *

 

_Dean found himself standing on the familiar path between himself and Castiel. This is where they connected and bonded, this is where they started getting closer. Dean took a breath and started for the dark hole that had embedded itself on Castiel's side. Originally Dean couldn't cross the center to Castiel but now he easily trekked over and hopped into the willowing abyss without a second thought. This is where Castiel was and he wouldn't come back, not without Dean's help._

_He didn't know when he landed, the only sensation he knew was that Castiel was here, his presence was floating around here somewhere. Dean carefully stepped around the oddly waving grass, glancing down at the sparse patches that sprouted together, growing slowly and forming small scraggly hands. He scrunched up his face at that and made sure to step quickly. "Cas!" He shouted, flinching at the horrifying echo it produced. "CAS!"_

 

* * *

 

_Castiel lifted his head, his heart skipping ahead of him. He waited. He heard it again. He opened his mouth but hesitated and waited a little longer, hearing it one more time. "Dean…" he croaked out, his throat raw from screaming for the last forever. He'd lost track of time in this place. "Dean!" he shouted again, barely hearing an echo off of that. He coughed, struggling to his feet, shivering in the cold. His wings curled around to shield him; he looked down at them and let out a shrill scream, his wings flailing backward with a welching sound. He tried to flick the black ooze away from himself but it remained, staining his skin and dripping from his wings. He sobbed as he climbed through the thick sludge as it slowly rolled off the walls and ceiling around him._

_He could hear Dean's voice somewhere in this space, Dean had come for him, come to find him. "Dean!" he shouted, spitting out the disgusting slime as it invaded his mouth. He didn't know why he was here, or where here was. He didn't remember, couldn't recall it no matter how hard he tried. He knew Dean was inside him, Dean's voice ringing in his mind and guiding his limbs. What was he fighting? Azrael? Castiel found himself crawling out from under a heavy blanket of that black ooze, his back soaked in it. He flapped his heavy wings to try and fling some of it off but it was useless, both wings slapping back to the floor. If could just remember what she had done to him he might be able to haul himself out. But Castiel hardly knew he wasn't in the physical world, let alone remember what he'd done before this._

" _Cas!" Dean stepped around a corner, still calling out for his angel. "CAS!" He looked down a strange chasm, glowing lightly and… pulsating. He stepped to the edge of where he was standing and looked down, at first all he could make out was a dark smattering of black, just a pool of what he guessed was a representation of evil on Castiel's side. Though that didn't make much sense, Castiel was an angel; there was no evil in him._

_Dean decided to avoid it, ignore it and keep looking. Except as he stepped away he heard a soft whimpering coming from the hole, someone was stuck down there. Dean knew that he and Castiel were the only ones on this plane of reality, that crying could only be one person. "Cas!" Dean ran and jumped without a moment's hesitation. He landed more elegantly than he'd expected, right next to the squirming mess on the chasm floor. "Cas, it's me." Dean knelt down and rummaged in the muck, finding Castiel's face and wiping it a little cleaner without much difficulty._

_Castiel sniffled and looked up at him, "Dean?" He whispered quietly, taking in the sight and trying to register if it really was his lover touching his face. "Dean…. Dean!" Castiel panicked, his arms snatching up and grasping at Dean frantically. He dug his fingers into Dean, clawing him closer, though the attempt was supposed to get himself off the ground. Dean scuttled closer and lifted Castiel's weighted frame into his arms, kissing him gently._

" _Cas, I'm here, you're okay." Dean whispered softly, stroking his angel's hair and easily removing the sludge with the wave of his hand._

_Several moments passed by and Castiel's sobbing slowed down and slipped into gentle breathing, resting close to Dean and drifting into a comfortable mindset. "Where are we?" He said quietly._

" _We're in our space, Cas. Remember when we first connected?" Dean continued petting his head, a subtle smile on his lips._

_Castiel nodded slowly, "When… how did we get here?"_

" _You…" Dean held his lover tighter, "You were hurt by Azrael in your last match, I don't know what happened exactly but you haven't woken up since."_

_Castiel sat upright, his memory flooding to him; he could see her face as she launched that last attack on him, how it almost looked like she was sorry. She never had much for offensive moves, the only one he knew was the one she'd used. It was capable of separating an angel's mind from its body; normally the angel would be forever lost in its own fears and spiritual space. But Castiel had Dean, another being to climb through their bond and find him, save him. Castiel smiled and leaned against Dean again, finally knowing where he was. The dark slime flickered and vanished, his fears fading away from him and letting him free. "Thank you." He whispered._

_Dean sighed, relieved, and lowered his head against Castiel's._

* * *

Dean's eyes popped open, he realized he was sleeping next to Castiel's bed; he'd slumped forward onto it, his hand still holding on. Panic gripped him as he felt the looseness of the hand he was clenching so tightly. "Cas!" He cried, lurching forward to lean over his angel's face. At first there was no movement, fear holding Dean silent as he waited. It couldn't have all been a dream. He found Castiel, everything would be okay now. "Cas, wake up! Come on…"

The room was silent for a few more seconds before a small smile crawled up Castiel's lips; he opened one eye to peek at Dean. "I'm just joking, Dean. Got you."

Dean stared down at Castiel for a moment, unsure of how he should take this. Should he be angry or relieved? Whatever his mind decided on Dean dropped onto the bed and wrapped Castiel in his arms again, sobbing lightly. "Cas I was so scared… I was so worried that you'd never wake up, that I lost you."

Castiel kissed him calmly, "I'm okay, Dean. You saved me; you came to find me when I was lost. There's nothing to be scared of now."

Regardless, Dean didn't move from that spot for a long time and he wouldn't let Castiel move either. He slowly drifted into sleep, soothed and finally able to rest; his baby was safe, his angel was home and safe.

Castiel sighed with a smile, looking up at the ceiling, his hand gently running through Dean's recently washed hair. He remembered Azrael's attack, her expression and what he'd done to deflect it. The main focus of that attack was to dislodge him from his mental state, to lose him in himself. He'd accepted that when he caught the blast, he'd let that part hit him and took all the damage it would have caused his mind. But he had needed to win the fight so the remaining strength, the part that usually knocked the opponent out, he'd used against her. Another sibling defeated without serious damage. How long could he keep it up? Castiel closed his eyes and tried not to think about it.


	28. Chapter 28

"Castiel wins! One more and they move on to Athens!"

"Dean Winchester and Castiel win again! On to Athens they go!"

The last two fights weren't anything special, it was tough and there were several rough patches but all in all Castiel got out of there mostly unscathed. They were on the tour bus to Athens in no time, Dean seeming to be much more comfortable with this form of transportation. He'd dropped his head against the window and successfully began napping, not bothered by the bumps and sounds of the bus. Castiel wasn't quite as fortunate, he sat quietly, staring forward and trying not to look at his brothers and sisters.

Of course, aside from some of the big competition, all the angels were present once again, this time in a confining space together for a longer period of time. Castiel looked at their faces and waved a little at the ones who tried to greet him. Overall the angels were quiet during the trip, at least until it was dark, the humans all attempting to get their rest.

"Castiel, how have you been?" His brothers inched closer; those who hadn't faced him in battle hadn't seen much of him aside from on the television.

"I've been lucky," Castiel admits quietly, "My human is a kind, gentle man." As he spoke he glanced up and noticed a face he hadn't seen in far too long.

" _Run Castiel! GO!"_

He remembered the urgency in his brother's tone, the angel that saved him immediate capture that first day. "Balthazar!" He couldn't help but raise his voice, tears rushing to his eyes as he scrambled to the back of the bus.

His old friend smiled and stood, lifting his arms slowly. "Castiel," he caught the smaller angel as Castiel practically leapt into his arms, burying his face against Balthazar's chest. "I'm sorry to see you here…"

Castiel lifted his head after a moment, clear distress on his face, "I've come to save you, all of you."

"I've heard." Balthazar's voice was soft, as though he were speaking to a child with dreams so far out of his reach.

Castiel bit his bottom lip and turned his face away, "You don't believe I can do it… do you?"

"It's a lovely thought, my dear Castiel. But look around you, these people are lost, they can't ever accept what you have in mind."

"They can be found again, Balthazar! Nothing is lost forever." Castiel hated the tone in his voice, he sounded like he was pleading, like his endeavors were useless and he was just trying to convince someone of something he himself knew was futile. But no, that's not how he felt. So why then did it sound that way? "I'll show you," Castiel growled out with determination, forcing it to the surface. "I won't fail here, I can't. Our father left us to die but I won't let that happen! I won't let them control us!"

Balthazar looked a little surprised; he'd thought Castiel's shouting on TV was just something his human had pushed for, something Castiel had been saying to get more recognition since he was new to the Angel Battles. Apparently he'd been wrong. "I'm sorry, Castiel." He smiled, "I shouldn't have doubted you, I'm behind you one hundred percent."

Castiel smiled, "Thank you, Balthazar." He was about to walk back to his seat when something dawned on him. He glanced back, "You can call me Cas."

Balthazar raised an eyebrow amusedly, "Alrighty."

* * *

The next battles began and this time Castiel decided to sit in the stands with Dean, watching from the crowd's perspective. He knew the rules, just because you lost one fight didn't mean you lost the entire tournament, you had to lose three to lose the round and be kicked out. He crinkled his brow as he watched Zachariah face off against Uriel. He wasn't surprised to see Uriel lose; Zachariah had been their boss back in the day and was stronger. Granted Castiel had been voting for Uriel, Zachariah pushed a few buttons in their last match.

"Not bad," Dean smiled, getting up and making his way out of the crowd. On his way someone recognized him and tugged at his sleeve.

"Are you Dean?" The kid was probably about 13, a baseball cap on his head.

"Yeah, that's me." Dean smiled, "You a fan?"

The kid smiled and nodded, blushing and looking away, "Can you ask Castiel if I can call him Cas?"

Dean smirked and pulled Castiel closer, "Why don't you ask him?"

Castiel looked down at the boy and touched the rim of his cap, lifting it slightly as he peered under. "You may call me Cas if you wish. But first, would you tell me why?"

"You got mad at that announcer when he called you that so I wanted to ask you if it was okay." The kid smiled sheepishly at Castiel, his cheeks only reddening. "You're really awesome."

"Thank you, I appreciate your support. And you know something?" He knelt down next to the boy's seat as the kid shook his head curiously, "Only people I care about are allowed to call me that, so protect it." With that he stood again and followed Dean out of the crowd and into the waiting area for their fight.

"Cute." Dean chuckled.

"What?" Castiel raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Nothing, just your little 'protect it' bit."

Castiel rolled his eyes, "Okay I'm sorry, I wanted to say something… The 'Cas' thing is important to me." He stuttered angrily.

Dean ran his hands along Castiel's midsection and slipped them down, following his hiplines until he reached the soft, tender flesh dangling between Castiel's legs. "Don't be mad, I'm just playing."

Castiel moaned and leaned back into Dean's arms, his hips bucking forward, his legs trembling. "Dean…" he huffed, eyes half lidded in a lustful gaze as he glanced over his shoulder at his man. "We're up next, you can't… we can't…un… Ah!"

Dean groped and stroked Castiel's swelling cock, taking in the sweet sounds, the shaky breaths and feeling of Castiel hardening. "You're beautiful, Cas." He whispered deeply, breathing heavily into his angel's ear and soaking in the shudder that erupted. "Let me take you apart, it won't take long."

Castiel whined softly, bucking into Dean's hand, letting his white cashmere pants slip down his hips. Dean wriggled his prize free from the fabric and palmed it, stroked it faster until Castiel's humping couldn't keep up, his legs nearly giving out, leaving him helplessly dependent on Dean's strength.

As he managed to successfully pull himself from his pants, Dean leaned Castiel over, "Lean on the wall, baby." He groaned, letting his angel support himself. Dean roughly worked Castiel open with a wet finger and pushed inside.

Castiel cried out, dragging his fingers down the wall. He loved feeling so full; his cheeks flushed red as he thrust backward. He nearly screamed when Dean struck his prostate, he could barely see past the stars flashing behind his eyelids. "More… More…" he whimpered, begging subtly as he shifted his hips, hoping for a chance encounter between his prostate and Dean's cock.

Dean smiled and adjusted his position to hammer Castiel home, enjoying the cries and moans a little more than he should. He flinched when Castiel's wings burst out of his back, right on time before their fight as always. The higher tech stadiums had certain controls over the angels' posture for when they entered the ring; Castiel's wings spread wide and erect, trembling more than his legs.

Dean removed his hand from the slick, leaking member he'd been massaging and started scratching at the sensitive skin on Castiel's back, paying close attention to where the feathers connected to flesh. Castiel's yelped and shuddered, his release spilling immediately, a surprising amount splashing to the floor around their feet. He gasped and shivered, letting Dean finish him off. Dean sighed into Castiel's neck, resting his head for a moment.

With a little angel mojo they were clean in time for the doors to open, Castiel's cheeks still a little flushed, Dean's grin impossible to remove.

This was their third fight after Castiel's match against Azrael; everyone had been relieved to see him up and about again. The angels cheered for him, several humans joined in and before they knew it the stadium had erupted with noise. Castiel took a slow breath and readied himself for this, trying to push the sex from his mind. He couldn't believe they'd done that right before their match. He tried to focus on the fact that he didn't know who his next opponent was, the trick to finishing off the round in Athens was that no one knew who their last opponents were.

"And introducing their opponents, Azazel and his angel Balthazar."

Castiel's eyes widen slowly, his heart pounding in his ears. "Baltha…zar…?" He squeaked quietly, his fingers tingling.

"Aw we got this," Dean grinned, "He looks pretty scrawny."

Castiel shot a glare back at Dean, or at least what he thought was a glare. However the expression he'd received in return told him his torment was displayed clearly in his eyes. He looked up at his old friend, Balthazar's wings displayed magnificently as he strode into the ring.

"I'm sorry, Cas." Balthazar said smoothly, he shifted into an offensive stance, his face twisted with remorse.

"Me too." Castiel said just before the bell rang.

They both remained still for several moments, staring at one another. Dean wasn't sure what to do, his mind was clouded completely by Castiel's mixed emotions, he couldn't give a single order. "Cas!" he shouted instead, "CAS! Clear your head!"

Of course he was too late, Azazel stopped wasting his time and sent Balthazar hurdling forward, a loud, glass shattering screech was all the crowd could hear before they understood what had happened. Castiel shrieked and stumbled, shaking against Balthazar's stiff form, the taller angel closing his eyes and whispering his apology one more time.

Balthazar shifted his hand slowly, looking at it sticking out the backside of Castiel, shoved through the front of him. He tried to pull it out painlessly but there was no way to do that judging by the sharp cries Castiel was making.

"CAS!" Dean shouted, his heart nearly stopping. He thought he'd seen all he could take when Azrael knocked Castiel out for days. Seeing his lover impaled was more than Dean could handle, Dean climbed into the ring and booked it to Castiel's side, taking him from Balthazar's arms and into his own. "Cas, Cas say something!"

Castiel lifted a hand to Dean's lips, "I'm okay, Dean." He strained to say, flinching with every breath. "I-I just…" He looked up at Balthazar, he didn't know what to say, or if he could even really say anything. His old friend, the one who'd warned him ten years ago to run and in the process saved him, now stood over him with an arm coated in his blood. "Balthazar…" he managed to groan out, shuddering from a sudden chill. His entire body felt like it was going numb.

"You'll be okay, Cas. I only ran you through with my arm, none of my grace was involved." He looked over at the referee who'd already called the match, "But your human entered the ring before they'd counted to ten, you've lost the match."

Castiel blinked tiredly, his hand finding Dean's and holding it closely. "It's… fine with me." He gasped, his other hand grasping at the hole left in his gut.

Dean held him closer, not liking the way these matches had been ending. "Cas, we can't do this anymore," he whispered, watching Balthazar step out of the ring. "I can't let you get hurt anymore."

Castiel struggled to reply but instead passed out, his head dropping against Dean's chest. Dean picked him up, trying hard not to recall how his angel had felt after Azrael, the limp, lifeless body of his lover. Balthazar said he'd be fine but that didn't stop the nightmares from pestering Dean that night. He'd changed Castiel's bandages several times, cleaned the wound and watched it slowly close, all the while Castiel slept and rested.

"We're done…" Dean tossed Castiel's ruined tournament clothes into the trash.


	29. Chapter 29

The lights were dim, the room barely lit. Castiel flinched when he tried to roll over. He was finding that the longer he stayed in this tournament the harder it would be to get out of bed every day. He felt stiff, like he hadn't moved in days… again. A long, slow groan rumbled in his throat as he sat up, peaking at a sharp hiss, his hands drawn to his abdomen immediately. "Ah…" he whined quietly, removing his hands from the wound to peer down at it. In the dark room he couldn't properly see it but he could see enough of the bandages and stains to remember what happened.

"Dean," he called out weakly at first, clearing his throat and trying again. "Dean I'm awake."

There was a soft rustling sound and Dean sat up from the couch, a smile on his face, "Cas," he whispered, rising to his feet and padding across the smooth floor with bare feet. Tears clung to the corners of his eyes as he carefully lowered himself onto the side of the bed, barely jostling it as he sat. Hesitant fingers reached up and stroked the stubbled cheek of his wincing angel, moaning quietly in pain. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Castiel replied in a whispered growl, hissing again after adjusting his position.

"Whoa, whoa, be careful." Dean lifted his arms to bubble Castiel a little, just in case there might be some falling left or right. "You're hurt, Cas. Badly. Just… don't move much."

"It's nothing, Dean. I will be fine in a few hours." Castiel groaned, running a hand up through his surprisingly clean hair. "Did you wash me?"

"Yeah… I had some practice after your coma incident…" Dean averted his eyes sadly. "But it'll okay now."

Castiel was vaguely listening, he leaned back again only to be cushioned by Dean and lowered slowly back into the bed. He closed his eyes again and rested a while longer, Dean remaining by his side.

Hours later Castiel woke again, this time feeling nearly 100 times better than before. He stretched, barely wincing at the tug on his wound.  _'Better.'_  He thought, bemused, running slender fingers along the indent in his skin; fresh, smooth, and extremely sensitive to touch. He shivered lightly and slowly started to rise from the bed, his bare feet touching the cooled tile around the bed. Letting the sheets slip from his body, the silky motions making him feel a little better though he couldn't be sure as to why, it just made him feel like a little sexier, a little more desirable.

The room was still, quiet… Something was amiss; something wasn't sitting right with him. Castiel looked down at the packed bags beside the door, his head slowly tilting to the side while his confusion attempted to solve itself. Dean's arms slipped around his waist, gently closing the gap between them. "Hey, you're up."

Castiel rested against Dean with a smile, "Yes, I'm feeling much better." He looked down at their bags, "Are we finished in Athens? Are we going to Mumbai now?"

Dean's eyes darkened and he held a little tighter, silent for what seemed like hours to Castiel. "We're going home." He said in a low voice, protective.

Castiel felt a sudden mixture of emotion at hearing that, the tiny fearful voice he'd had when first captured cried for joy, relief washing over him. But just as quickly as that relief came it was drowned out with regret and shame. He couldn't give up, not now. He needed to do this, he needed to win. "Dean… no." Castiel shifted from Dean's arms and turned around to face him, his face soft yet his eyes had hardened with determination. "We have to stay."

"I won't let you," Dean scowled, "You nearly died, Cas! More times now than I can count."

"Yes, I told you-"

"I can't take it anymore, I can't lose you!" Dean shouted, his hands gripping Castiel's shoulders.

"You knew this would happen!" Castiel shouted back, his voice carrying more strength than Dean's by far. "You  _knew_. I told you from the beginning, I told you I never wanted to because I'd fight my brothers, because I was scared to get hurt." His eyes watered with anger, stepping closer to Dean, pushing him backward. " **I told**   **you from day one.** " He growled, "I told you that you'd regret it, that once you do it you can't take it back. Well I wasn't lying, Dean. We can't give up now, we have to push forward, we have to win."

"Winning isn't as important as your life, Cas!"

"No, it's more." Castiel straightened his back and lifted his jaw, "I'm not doing it for the prizes or fame, I'm doing it to make a difference, to get to a point where people have to listen to what I say."

"Cas, no." Dean's mind was at war with itself, he wanted to help Castiel achieve this, to save his brothers but he couldn't stand seeing his baby hurt like that.

"You promised." Castiel muttered after a moment of silence. "You promised that if you made me do this, you'd help me save my brothers and sisters."

Dean closed his eyes, he remembered that but what could he say? "I don't know…"

"I'm still doing this, with or without your help." Castiel snarled and moved to the clothing Dean had set out for him hours before. "We're going to Mumbai, both of us. You don't have to watch if you don't want to."

Dean didn't say anything, just stood in silence as Castiel readied them for the flight.

* * *

Every moment in Mumbai should have been amazing, the place was gorgeous and all set up and ready for them. The festivities were beautiful, fun and exciting and yet all Dean could think of was Castiel's slender frame frozen in a strange bed for days on end. Their connection did more than let them know how the other felt, Castiel was directly affected by it and his own mood didn't help. He sat, stone cold and angry the whole way to the stadium for opening ceremonies for this next round.

Castiel's eyes drifted to Dean's face, tormented and twisted in an uncharacteristic frown. He couldn't bear to see Dean looking that way but they just weren't ever on the same page with this, possibly for two seconds as they passed one another by but other than that they remained at ends with one another. Castiel shifted to touch Dean but stopped and turned away again, Dean  _promised him,_ Dean lied.

The ceremonies finished and they were sent off to the waiting room, a similar set up to the others. Castiel sat against a wall as he waited, their next fight since his loss was coming around the corner. He'd be alone this time.

"Cas…" Dean started slowly, only to get an angry stare. "Just… just stop, okay? It's like chasing darkness…"

"No." Castiel stood and marched toward the doors, "Stay here, Dean. I'll be back later."

Dean bit his lip; anyone in the game this long couldn't be easy. "Cas!"

Castiel didn't answer; he walked down the dark corridor alone. A memory of his nightmare flashed behind his eyes, walking alone, naked, and pushing open those heavy doors all on his own. He grit his teeth and swallowed what doubt he was feeling. It was bullshit, he wanted nothing more than to scream at Dean, call him a coward and a million other things. But he wouldn't, couldn't do it. Instead Castiel shoved those doors open and marched in on his own, bottom lip held tightly so as not to quiver on its own as well.

The confusion in the arena was more than just a little, murmurs erupted loud enough that he could hear a whispy hum rise in the room. Castiel didn't stop though; he marched to the ring's edge and gracefully flew himself onto it with a single flutter of his beautiful wings.

"Castiel is alone, his human missing. Where is Dean Winchester? And angel can't do it alone." There was a strange discussion about the rules that Castiel hadn't considered first, though despite the tension he got lucky. After a long pause, it was ruled that Castiel would be allowed to participate in the match alone, granted no one believed he could do it. Someone with a weak connection to their human could never make it this far, alone was just a funny thought. "Dean Winchester you still have a chance to save this match." The announcer called through the stadium, everyone watching knew that this would undoubtedly be Castiel's final match if he did it alone. He'd already lost once.

The bell rang and Castiel did all he could to avoid his brother's attack. Today his opponent was Adnachiel, the angel of independence. It seemed ironic to him, ducking this way and that to escape a finishing blow. He fought alone against a team involving Adnachiel of all beings, it was laughable.

"Be honest, Castiel." Adnachiel shouted as his move barely grazed his brother's side, their faces drifting closer than they should. "You're weak on your own."

Castiel clenched his jaw and with a sharp grunt he managed to twist out of Adnachiel's range for a moment, his wings rustling to readjust his balance. "Maybe," He responded gruffly, his wings flexing and throwing him forward in a burst of energy, just in time to avoid another lunge by Adnachiel. "But I never claimed I wasn't."

Dean clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, "Damn it, Cas!" He shouted, slamming his fist into a wall, shaking from the reverberations.

"OH! Castiel is down, folks!" The announcer called excitedly into the microphone, "He's lasted a lot longer than we all thought, didn't he? Struggling to get up again and –OH! That's gotta hurt! Adnachiel just slams right into him, crushing him into the arena floor like a cockroach!"

Castiel coughed and groaned, his abdomen throbbing like a bitch. In the last five minutes he'd taken one hell of a beating, he almost preferred the quick 'arm through the gut' moves to the brutal bludgeoning. He looked up at Adnachiel, eyes wet from pain and hurt feelings though his emotion had been held back considerably.

"You can't save us, Castiel." Adnachiel snarled, betrayal evident on his face. Just like every other angel he'd wanted to believe Castiel, to believe that someone was coming for them, to save them. But the number of times that Castiel had been taken down, how easily he'd been dismantled and pierced through, Adnachiel had lost hope. It was easier than having it crushed. "You're not strong enough. No one can save us."

Castiel stared up at the glowing palm Adnachiel held above him, he'd failed. After this last move he would be done, made a liar and a false hope to his brothers. Castiel closed his eyes, letting hot tears streak his bruised and bloodied face. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"No he's not!" Dean shouted from the ringside. Castiel's eyes flashed open with the bright light associated with their connection and bond. Dean reached forward with Castiel's strength and battered Adnachiel away, slowly rising from the crater they'd made. He took a breath and leapt forward with a burst of energy, wings flared up in a dominant display.

In half the time it'd taken Adnachiel to beat Castiel down, he'd already returned the favour and then some. Castiel perched over his brother five minutes later, shimmering eyes staring down intently. "Surrender, Adnachiel." He demanded, "Surrender and I won't hurt you any further."

His brother shifted and stared up at him, a new look in those eyes. Hope had returned to him, though it was barely a candle in the wind. He nodded slowly, "I give up," he smiled softly.

Castiel sighed, relieved, stepping off Adnachiel and lending him a hand to help him up. "By the looks of it, Castiel and Dean win! Quite the 'snatching victory from the jaws of defeat' move boys, I wonder if they played it like that from the start to get our affections back."

Dean let the announcer go off on his little tangent, not wanting to correct him and inform everyone that he and Castiel had been fighting over this. "I thought I was just chasing darkness. What changed your mind?" His angel's voice was surprising to hear in the mixture of his thoughts.

Dean just smiled and kissed Castiel's cheek. "We can chase the dark together," he pet his angel's hair gently, "If you go then so will I, we're partners."

Castiel blushed lightly and nodded, "So you'll stay with me?"

"Forever."

Castiel through his arms around Dean and buried his face against his lover's neck, "I love you," he whispered.

Dean closed his eyes and held Castiel close, resting his head against Castiel's. "I love you too."

* * *

After making up things seemed to go even better than before, Dean's mind was clear in this; if Castiel died then he would follow suit. If Castiel was injured he'd never leave his side. Dean would never abandon his angel again. In turn, his focus was incredible. Dean had a game plan if Castiel was hurt but he never wanted to see that, not if he could help it. He'd upped his game, he'd pushed the envelope and in doing so their next two matches were amazing. It'd been two more weeks and everything was falling into place, the battles in Mumbai were hard, that couldn't be sneezed at.

The next one Castiel had to face off against Eth, guardian angel of time, making sure things happened when they were supposed to. Obviously he'd been having difficulty being chained to a human. He was anxious, strung out and far from himself. He lashed out viciously at Castiel, he'd been doing this for so long it hadn't even mattered who his opponent was anymore, he just had to beat them down or be beaten, either way he had to fight.

Castiel remembered Eth from heaven, patient and timely. He was the type you'd go to for advice, or possibly someone who you knew could calm you down. Right now it was tragic to see him, his face twisted in a snarl and lashing out at everything that moved toward him. Castiel was as gentle as he could be, knowing full well asking Eth to surrender would be impossible. The fight was longer than most, Castiel fluttering around and using Eth's strategy. His brother was not used to exerting himself, Eth's battles had to end within a certain time limit or he'd tire out undoubtedly. Castiel waited until then, just avoiding and taunting until finally he pinned his brother to the floor in a hold that was nearly impossible to break free of. Eth struggled of course, however the referee counted to ten before the angel of time could possibly wriggle enough to be able to get up.

"Castiel and Dean win again!"

Their next fight was one that hurt Castiel to see, his fight was against his sister Nisroc, the angel of freedom. "Sister…" he whispered softly, watching the way she slowly trudged up to meet him in the ring. Her tiny limbs looked heavy, her head hung low and even her wings drooped further than normal.

She looked up at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. She'd heard Castiel's claims and she believed in him, she fully believed he could do the impossible, she prayed he could. "Castiel," she returned the whisper with a sob, her limbs shaking as they were forced up, her human not letting her give in like she so deeply wanted to. "Brother…"

Castiel grit his teeth and shook his head to avert his eyes from her trembling, "I will be as kind as I can." He wanted nothing more than to let her go without hurting her, but she'd never be able to surrender like others had before her.

The fight started with a bang and ended just as explosively. The fight was drawn out, she was swift and avoided his attacks almost easily, Castiel was much larger than she but that didn't matter if he could never land a hit. The whole way she begged him to save everyone, to save her. Expressing how happy she was that he was even trying. Every moment they were in close proximity she said something to him, something meaningful and something heart wrenching. Finally he caught her by the throat and didn't let go of her, not until he'd managed to knock her out or get the ten count like he had done with Eth.

"Castiel and Dean win again! Moving on to the next round, everyone! You two will be in the semi-finals, see you both in Osaka!"

Dean breathed a sigh of relief though he couldn't shake the heavy feeling in his gut watching Castiel's trembling hands slowly letting go of Nisroc's still body.  _"Cas, you had to… Remember what you're doing this for."_

" _I know."_  Castiel sighed and walked to Dean's side, a small smile creeping onto his face, "We're in the semi-finals, Dean."

"Yeah, feel weird yet?"

"Nope, ready for the plane ride?"

"Nope."

They both laughed a little and shared a soft kiss, neither could believe where they were standing. They were, by far, the underdogs in this. When they'd started no one knew their names and yet now every angel Castiel came across knew him, knew his reasons for being there. Dean had received several phone calls from friends, from classmates, family, people who couldn't believe they were seeing him on TV, seeing him win on TV.

Though as they packed and walked to the airport Dean couldn't help but consider Sam in all this, his little brother had gone missing over a month ago now and no one had heard a single thing. His parents were at a loss and the police had come up with nothing. Dean ran a hand up into his hair, a tribute to Sam's habit that Dean had adopted since the boy's disappearance. "Hey Cas, when this is done and we rescue the angels…"

Castiel reached over and took Dean's hand, giving it a squeeze, "I know; we'll do all we can to find Sam." He said, understanding Dean's raw emotions perfectly. Those were the most intense feelings that crossed their connection, the raw, unaltered and unhindered feelings that they felt at any given time.

While they were sitting quietly in the waiting room for the boarding time, Castiel allowed himself to be vaguely entertained by the television above them as he stared over at the other angels keeping to themselves whether it be by orders or otherwise. He sighed and closed his eyes, ready to sleep when suddenly Dean jolted beside him.

"Holy shit!" Dean stood and ran to the TV and raised the volume, a massive building smoking from the top of it was displayed from what looked like a helicopter camera. The black plumage was blocking out the sky in several areas, raging fires licking up the sides of the building and enveloping most of it.

" _The main office for Crystal Wings has exploded into flames! Within the last hour bombs were placed around the building and went off without warning. The top floors are completely gone, scattered around the street in massive chunks. The middle was also hit pretty hard and the main structures in the sub-levels of the building have been blown apart leaving it completely unstable. This is the third major Crystal Wings building that's been hit in last month alone, not counting the factories and stores."_ The newscaster on the TV recounted different scenarios, showing footage already sent in to them from bystanders.

Dean watched in horror as the grainy footage played, debris and bodies flying out of the building all in one go. "That's… so awful…"

Castiel stood beside him and nodded slowly, "Though those are the people who started enslaving us in the first place…"

"That doesn't mean they deserve to die." Dean shook his head, "This is just…"

" _Many believe the group calling themselves the Freedom Fighters are the ones responsible for this attack and several others, including Crystal Wings' testing facilities in Chicago, Illinois. In other news, there has been a sudden increase in angel captures as of late in the state of Illinois…"_

Dean turned the volume back down, "Freedom Fighters, huh? I don't like those activist groups, they take things way too far."

Castiel shook his head in disbelief, "Did you not hear that last part!" He choked out, "Testing facilities were damaged somehow and now suddenly in the same state angels are being captured in high numbers! Are people just ignoring the obvious connection here!"

Dean furrowed his brow, thinking of what that meant. He couldn't imagine what it was like in a testing facility for angels, it must be the worst kind of torture for them. "I'm sorry, Cas." He looked back at the screen, watching the building burn in silence.


	30. Chapter 30

Osaka was beautiful; Castiel stepped off the plane with a light jittering in his belly as he took in the sights. He'd seen the entire world before but always from on high. To be so close to it now, to see with his own eyes all the wonders it had to offer. He wondered why they'd ever been comfortable so far away from it, aside from the obvious human issue. Then why, he thought, didn't they change the way heaven looked to be more like it? He kind of wished they had before everything.

"Now we start the semi-finals!" The announcer didn't waste any time once they'd entered the arena, it was the largest one yet, or at least the most high-tech. There was an enormous screen high above them and Dean figured each seat must have cost the crowd a fortune. "Let's introduce the finalists, the winner of which will go on to face Bella and Michael. First our favourites; Dean and Castiel, the underdogs in this tournament. Next, Azazel and Balthazar; two very tough and very worthy opponents. We've got Gordon and Joshua, and last but certainly not least, Victor and Raphael.

"An archangel," Castiel nudged Dean as he whispered, eyes fixed on Raphael's straight-faced stare.

Dean glanced over and nodded slowly, "Well we've beaten one archangel or two, right?"

"Not like Raphael, he's one of the top four." Castiel swallowed and lowered his head defensively.

"Top four? Like the uh…. Teenage mutant ninja turtles?"

"No, nothing like turtles. Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer." Castiel spoke in a lower tone than usual, the vibrations in his throat distracting Dean just a little. "They're the strongest we have, it's not something to joke about." Castiel didn't get the turtle reference but he didn't need to understand it to know Dean was being an idiot.

"Okay well we only need to win three more fights before we're champions, Cas." Dean smiled, "Maybe Balthazar will beat him in their match and we can get our revenge on that little move he pulled last time."

"Yeah…" Castiel muttered as they moved into position for cameras. This time, since it was the semi-final match-up portion, they were given instruction on how to stand, where to look and all sorts of other things that Castiel didn't quite understand. He glowered at the man shouting things at him and nearly took off a head or two when people tried to position his wings. "Don't you touch me-!" He snapped just before Dean pulled him down into a hug.

"Calm down, Cas. They just want to take good pictures of us." Dean said soothingly, his angel tensing slightly then taking a long breath.

"Fine…" he grumbled, keeping an eye on them until his wings were 'perfect'. After several moments and extra adjustments everywhere else, the cameras flashed. Castiel stayed still, waiting for them to finish; he didn't like this, not one bit. It was hard to focus with all the attention and stranger's attempts to groom him and tell him how to stand, where to angle his face. Many pictures were taken, too many in his opinion. He decided they were done, not that they were but he didn't care. Instead he wrapped his arms around Dean and tucked his face against Dean's shoulder, wings curling protectively around them.

At first the crew was a little upset but their director took this as a golden opportunity, telling them to keep their cameras ready. "Hey, Cas…" he dragged out the pause to get an intense glare from the angel, motioning for his team to take as many pictures as possible. "-tiel." Castiel's expression softened and shifted to a more curious look.

"Yes?"

"Try to look at the cameras at least, if you don't want to stand where we say. It's fine, we're just tossing suggestions at you." The director tried to sound casual though the stubborn look he received for it didn't help much.

"Why would you want pictures of us anyway? To remember our torment or just for vanity reasons?" Castiel snarled.

"It's just business," the man motioned for more lighting in different areas as he spoke.

"You disgust me…" Castiel murmured as he buried his face against Dean again, wishing it was over. They were close to the end of it all, so close and yet didn't know when it would finally end, when he'd be able to claim freedom. Winning this tournament meant they received recognition but it didn't mean that they would be heard by people like the owners of Crystal Wings, for example. As much as it was a terrible thing those activists were doing, Castiel couldn't say he disagreed with the methods and extremes.

* * *

"… _I'm terrified of these four walls, these iron bars can't hold my soul in. All I need is you. Come please, I'm calling. And all I scream for you. Hurry, I'm falling. I'm falling…_

" _Heaven's gates won't open up for me, with these broken wings I'm falling. And all I see is you. These city walls ain't got no love for me, up on the ledge of an eighteen story. And all I scream for you. Come please, I'm calling. And all I need from you… Hurry, I'm falling. I'm falling…"_

Castiel drifted in and out of the song playing over the speakers in the waiting room, these last two rounds, the semi-finals and the finals were dragged out longer than they needed to be. Today was day one of the semi-finals, two battles would take place and he and Dean were second in line. First it was Raphael versus Balthazar. Castiel couldn't say he was terribly happy to know that match-up. Raphael was ruthless, brutal and cruel. Balthazar was smart and definitely had a decent connection to his human but he just couldn't see his oldest friend beating their older brother.

All four teams sat quietly in the Osaka stadium, each choosing their own corner to sit quietly in. They all knew that if a heated argument started there'd be bloodshed immediately. Castiel hummed softly with the song, drumming his fingers along his cheek as he waited. He didn't know what everyone was waiting for, probably just formalities or something, possibly because there were so many people to be seated.

The door opened, gaining the attention of every person in the room, Crowley smiled as he walked in. Both Dean and Castiel felt an awful wrenching in their stomachs when they saw him. "Hello, darlings." Crowley started casually, his arms places casually at his sides, hands in his suit-pant pockets. "Having a wonder tournament so far?"

They mostly remained silent though Crowley didn't seem to give them much of an opening to speak. "Good, well then I'm here to inform you all about the problem that's been going around. Crystal Wings, the company that helps fund the technology that goes into these tournaments, has been under a lot of stress lately thanks to some terrorizing activists," he strolled across the room, glancing around at everyone as he spoke. "The issue has, apparently, grown exponentially and has hit the point where it does affect us. Now don't panic, but it seems the override chip placed in your angels' collars has gone offline, we cannot control them within the stadium anymore should they somehow… get out of hand."

Dean raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Castiel who didn't seem to have any particular problems with it either. They didn't make a habit of getting out of control, or at least not severely that Castiel's collar would have to be overridden. "So?" he finally said since no one was speaking up.

Crowley looked at him, that condescending look he hated. "Well, pretty boy, basically it means we obviously can't force angels' wings up, or posture, or all the little things. As well, we can't, say, stop a fight. If the battle gets to the point where one angel might die we can't stop the other from doing it, things like that. Most of the time it isn't an issue but sometimes it's necessary."

Dean furrowed his brow, thinking back on all the tournaments he'd watched on television. An angel rarely died during the fights, the earlier ones weren't so forgiving in that respect but after the rules were put more firmly in place and they had ways to control it there were much fewer deaths. Dean nodded his understanding to the owner and shifted his hand to hold Castiel's, he didn't think anything bad would really happen but he could never be certain of it. Regardless, though, he knew his plan of action if something were to happen to his angel; they'd go down together if at all.

"Good then, as long as you're all aware. So I just want to remind you; none of those angel blades, they're still prohibited and illegal and all that. If you've already won don't go for a killing blow, just let the referee count to ten. And of course, very importantly, don't forget your posture when walking into the arena. The cameras are watching, you know." Crowley waved a cheerful goodbye as he waltzed right back out the door he'd entered from. "Cheerio, and good luck."

As soon as the door closed the bell rang meaning the fighters had to move to the gates and the other team was free to roam. Castiel immediately ran to Balthazar's side and caught his arm before he could leave, "Balthazar…" he spoke hesitantly, knowing the last time they spoke was during their fight.

"Cas," Balthazar looked surprised to have Castiel hanging off of him, he seemed to understand the concern on his brother's and friend's face, his own expression softening. "Don't worry," he reassured Castiel and gently removed his clinging hands. "We'll talk later."

Castiel stood with his brow scrunched in worry, eyes wide with fear as he watched Balthazar walk alongside his human down the long hallway. He bit his bottom lip and slowly dragged it along his teeth until only a corner of it was still pinched, his mind swarming with things he should say. "Be careful!" He shouted finally, not caring how he sounded when his voice cracked and frustrated tears burned his eyes.

"Let's go watch," Dean said softly, touching his angel's shoulder.

Castiel looked at him and nodded once in agreement, hurrying down a different hallway to the stadium's seating. They had no seats reserved this time so they stood at the bottom level on the stairs, Castiel pressed up right against the mesh of chains, fingers hooked in it anxiously. The net surrounded the entire arena and went straight to the ceiling, they'd had several issues with angels being hurled into the crowds with nothing to catch them or slow them down so the chain-link net was made.

The lights dimmed and the announcer boomed over the speakers introducing both sides, Castiel staring intensely at Balthazar's gate as the two marched out. He swallowed hard and clung even harder to the net. His mind still called out prayers for his brother though he knew no one was listening anymore; it gave him comfort to think it.

"Hey Cas! Dean!" A familiar voice called over to them, Dean spinning around to look. It was Anna, trotting down the stairs followed closely by Chuck. "I haven't seen you guys since the preliminary fights."

Dean smiled, "Hey guys. And yeah, it's been a hell of a ride."

Anna glanced at Castiel who barely glanced to nod at them before looking back into the arena. She felt bad for him; she knew his relationship with Balthazar previously and knew that it must kill him to see his best friend down there. "Cas, there's nothing more you can do for him now."

"I don't care…" Castiel clenched the chains, "He… He'll be okay down there against Raphael, won't he? His bond is stronger…"

"Actually from what I read, Raphael has one of the strongest bonds there is. Last year he was the final contestant who faced Michael." Chuck piped in matter-of-factly, swiftly receiving a glare from Dean.

"You aren't helping, Chuck."

"Sorry…" The scruffy man scratched the back of his head and looked at Castiel's nervous eyes, "But I wouldn't worry about it too much, Cas. Everyone here has an equal chance of beating the others, all of your bonds are at the same level."

Castiel's eyes darkened in horror, "Oh god…" he looked back down at the ring, arms trembling. "Then he doesn't stand a chance…"

Chuck took a moment to realize what he'd said and what it meant; if Balthazar's bond was stronger he'd be able to withstand the fight long enough and possibly win. If they were even then the fight would come down to which angel was physically stronger; Raphael's an archangel and can kill Balthazar with the snap of his fingers. If Raphael wanted, this wouldn't even be a fight.

The usual opening to the battle ended when the bell rang, Raphael stood calmly as Balthazar made the first move. Balthazar knew the strength difference between them far better than anyone else watching; he could literally feel it in the ring. They clashed for about a minute before the difference between them became painfully obvious to everyone watching, Balthazar was taking many more hits than Raphael was and each strike he made was weaker than Raphael's. It didn't look good for him in the least.

"Come on… Come on…" Castiel muttered, eyes strained and face twisted with worry.

The fight looked wrapped up like Raphael had it in the bag, he stepped back from Balthazar after knocking him firmly to the floor. "Just stay down, it'll be less painful for you that way."

Balthazar chuckled, his muscles shuddering as he struggled to prop himself up on his elbows and slowly pushing himself up again. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He smiled cockily as he stared up through aging eyes. "Too bad, Raphy. I've heard of someone who wants…" he winced as he finally managed to get to his feet again, hunched forward in pain. "… to end all of this, someone who thinks he can save us."

Raphael hardly moved as he watched, taking in Balthazar's words carefully. "So I've heard. He's too weak, he'll never make it."

"That's what I said," Balthazar laughed again, his eyes having trouble focusing on the dark expression Raphael wore. "And then I thought to myself; if I think he's too weak to do it but I do nothing to help, then what am I? How could I possibly be more worthless than doing something like that to my best friend? It's ridiculous." He snickered through the pain, taking a step closer to his opponent. "I find myself on his side again, if not to support him then to do the job I didn't think he could do… But that's ridiculous too." He straightened up, forced himself to stand properly to face his brother. "He has shown more strength to us all in the past few months than we have ever shown in the last ten years. Castiel is our light, Raphael. He will be our saving grace and our battle cry." He looked at the camera he knew was connected to the jumbo screen far above his head, it focused on his immediately as he smiled. "Angels, my brothers and sisters, I demand that you fight! Fight for your freedom, fight for us all!" he shouted with a strength and determination that seemed to engulf the room. He readied his stance toward Raphael, "I fight with Castiel." Balthazar's loyalty and power emanated from him like a wave with those words.

Raphael stood silent in apparent awe at Balthazar, his eyes shifting to the crowd and catching the image of Castiel pressed against the chain-link net with his heart displayed in plain view, eyes sparkling with surprise and amazement. Raphael closed his eyes, hearing Victor's instructions loud and clear in his mind;  _'Finish him off already.'_

With his hand lifted, Raphael spoke an apology to Balthazar so quietly that only the other angel could hear it. In that brief moment before the light consumed them Balthazar smiled and nodded his understanding.

Everyone had to shield their eyes from the holy display, opening them again to see Balthazar splayed out on the arena floor, blood pooling from his mouth and other orifices. Castiel froze, his breath caught in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes. "No… no…" He shook his head, tugging firmly on the chains. "Balthazar! Balthazar!" He pulled hard on the net, rattling it repeatedly as he screamed for his best friend to wake up, to move.

Anna grabbed his wrists and pulled him away before he took down the entire mesh barrier, pulling him back as he struggled to rush forward. "Cas, calm down!" She ordered, pinning him to the best of her abilities.

Dean stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Castiel, "Shh, Cas it's okay. He's fine, calm down."

Castiel stopped struggling as he heard the ten count and watched as Balthazar lifted his head slightly, the jumbo screen showing that he'd said something to Raphael, his mouth forming the words 'I forgive you' though his voice was too quiet to hear. "He's not dead…" Castiel breathed, slumping into Dean's arms who promptly took his angel from Anna.

Raphael looked up at the stands, directly at their little group. "I'm sorry, Castiel." He said sternly, "But I won't just step aside for you, I can't."

Castiel took a moment to gather himself, straightening up and giving Raphael a firm nod; he understood. There were no hard feelings among brothers in this tournament, each angel was under a human's order and could hardly be held responsible for their actions.

"So," Anna looked at Dean, "You guys are fighting Joshua next."

He nodded, "Yeah, looks like."

"Good luck, he's not that strong but he has some crazy insight and he's one hell of an opponent. His human, Gordon, is kind of scary too, seriously focused guy. They're a good match though their personalities clash. If you're lucky you can find a way to get them off balance in an argument of some kind." She glanced over at Chuck who seemed enthralled with how fancy everything was before looking back to Dean, "Of course that won't be easier either since Joshua's pretty mild-mannered."

"Right, so I'll just wing it." Dean smirked. He looked back at Castiel and could hardly believe that this was the same angel that he'd stared down at in the back of his dad's truck all tangled in a net.

Castiel turned around and caught Dean's gaze lingering on him. Curiosity tilted his head, "What?"

"Nothing," Dean smiled, "Come on, let's get back to the hotel." Each fight would take place once a week and they were up next week.

Castiel nodded, now finding that a week off doesn't feel like it'll be long enough. He can hardly wait until they're through here.


	31. Chapter 31

Castiel dropped onto the bed, his eyes lingering on the ceiling, his naked limbs sliding against the silk sheets. He'd discarded his clothing as soon as they'd arrived while Dean hauled their bags up. He curled his toes and stretched his back, arching up just in time for Dean to walk into the room. "Not bad," Dean grinned, walking over and stroking his hand through Castiel's hair, "You're doing all the right things to get things going." He sat on the side of the bed and looked down into those deeply concerned blue eyes, a subtle quiver in his angel's lips. "Hey…" Dean said softly, cupping Castiel's cheek gently, thumb brushing over to subdue the shaking.

"With one move…" Castiel whispered, "Raphael managed to take Balthazar down in one move."

"They were duking it out for a while before that last one." Dean attempted to correct him, lacking any kind of sarcasm to be sure he wouldn't receive an outburst in return.

Castiel sighed; the fight in him subsided for the time being. "Raphael could have done that at the beginning of the fight with the same result. We're in trouble, Dean."

Dean didn't say anything after that, he knew it too. They had time today, their fight wasn't until later so they'd been given time to move into their hotel rooms. Dean looked at the time and watched the second hand tick away.

They still had over two hours before their fight but the two decided to go back to the arena anyway, Castiel throwing on his white garments and slowly walking out the door. They arrived at the arena in no time at all, Dean was grateful that Castiel could do just about anything, including speak Japanese. They walked into the waiting room and dropped down into the cushions, neither of them saying anything

' _Put me to sleep evil angel. Open your wings, evil angel… I'm a believer, nothing could be worse; all these imaginary friends hiding betrayal, driving the nail… Hoping to find a savior. No, don't leave me to die here. Help me survive here. No, don't surrender, surrender."_

Castiel closed his eyes again and listened to the song playing on the speakers, they always had some kind of sound to keep everyone's minds at bay. "Evil angel," Dean spoke up after a moment, "Breaking Benjamin I think." Castiel glanced at him and nodded.  _"Put me to sleep, evil angel. Open your wings, evil angel. Ohh, fly over me evil angel. Why can't I breathe, evil angel?"_  Dean sang it quietly, getting a small smile out of his boyfriend.

"You aren't terrible at that," Castiel muttered, inching closer to Dean, laying his head against the man's shoulder.

They sat quietly until the door opened, both flinching and snapping their heads up to see who it was though neither of them really had to guess. Joshua and his human, Gordon walked in casually, Gordon's eyes fixed on Dean. Out of the two of them it seemed the human gave off a more dangerous feeling than the angel, Joshua stood and smiled calmly, sweetly even. Castiel stood and considered stepping closer though he remained by Dean's side instead. He didn't like the feeling of this Gordon.

"Winchester, right?" Gordon spoke up, his voice low and smooth yet eerily psychotic.

Dean nodded, "That's me." He raised an eyebrow, he'd been watching these tournaments for a long time but nothing impressive came to mind while looking at this man. "So, Gordon…" Dean stood up to face him, a friendly smile gracing his lips, "Good luck."

Gordon sneered but nodded in return, "Right, you too."

Castiel watched the tension, could almost see it tangibly. He looked at Joshua again, the only known angel that kept a connection with God. His curiosity burned in him now, it hadn't come up before but now he wanted to know, what was their father doing? Was he still alive and just abandoned them all? Or had something happened? With these thoughts eating at him, Castiel walked closer, "Joshua," he started but the angel raised his hand in return.

"Don't ask, Castiel. You won't like the answers I'd give." Joshua's eyes remained steady on him as he spoke, deadly serious.

Castiel flinched and retracted a little, his heart sinking. "Please… is He alive, at least?"

Joshua's expression softened and he nodded, "Yes, He is alive."

Castiel smiled a little at that, at least there was always a chance that his Father could change his mind and save them. Just in case he couldn't…

Dean took Castiel's arm, "Come on, let's go to our changing area." He whispered, leading his angel away. The room was small, obviously not meant for comfort, just a place to stand for a little bit while they waited for the arena to settle down. Regardless it'd be more comfortable than sitting in the same room as their opponents. "A little tense in there, huh?"

Castiel glanced at him, "For you, maybe." He smirked playfully.

Dean smiled; glad to see Castiel could be in a good mood. If it'd been him and he learned that his dad was out there and letting all of these things happen, well, Dean'd be pissed. "Got some time, what do you want to do?"

Castiel sat down on one of the small chairs, his elbows resting on his thighs, "Sit quietly." He said softly. Dean nodded and pulled Castiel from the chair and to the floor with him.

"If we're going to do that then you're going to at least sit with me." Dean whispered, snugly placing Castiel in his lap. His angel curled up against him, nuzzling his cheek against Dean until he found a comfortable place to hide himself. Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel and held him close, feeling the sense of hurt sinking in there.

Before they knew it the bell rang, they needed to move on to the arena. Castiel's eyes fluttered open and he struggled to stand, Dean stretched his legs and yawned. "Guess that's our cue, huh?"

Castiel nodded and headed toward the hall, "Joshua is normally soft spoken," he muttered aloud as he walked, "Kind and gentle, but he won't be that way today."

Dean caught up to him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders again, holding Castiel back for a moment. "We'll win, okay? I'm not too worried at the moment."

"We're about to face Joshua in the semi-final round, how are you not worried?" Castiel spoke quietly but harshly.

"There's no point in panicking now, Cas. We're here, we're as ready as we're going to get. Whatever happens, happens and all we can do is give it our best shot." Dean kissed his cheek softly before letting go and continuing down the hall toward the arena.

Castiel watched his back for a moment and wondered when it was that Dean had gotten so mature. It felt like a long time ago when Dean was about to unwittingly force himself on Castiel. Regardless, the angel nodded and followed suit, feeding off Dean's energy through their bond as it slowly drifted in and out between them.

It felt like no time had elapsed between the warning bell and the starting bell, Castiel stared directly into Joshua's eyes as they both remained still. The battle had already started and yet neither did anything, both waiting for the other to move first. Castiel swallowed, his nerves itching as he and Dean eyed their opponents, looking for an opening. Joshua wasn't smiling, his expression a sad, empathetic one.

"Balthazar was right, you know." Joshua spoke first, breaking the silence that the entire arena held.

Castiel furrowed his brow curiously, "What do you mean?"

"In this morning's battle, what he said to Raphael," Joshua smiled a little, recalling it. "You have shown so much strength and growth, you are an incredible individual. And I believe what he said will be true, you will be our saving grace in this."

Castiel was a little shaken with how strongly Joshua seemed to believe, almost as if he'd heard from somewhere, somewhere more definite than Balthazar's hopeful words. "I hope I can," he replied humbly, knowing that there was a lot of pressure in the task he'd set out to do. "I've said a lot already, it's time for me to prove it."

"You've proven a lot just by being in the semi-final match, Castiel." Joshua took a step closer, clearly being influenced by Gordon who was quickly losing his patience with this angel.

Dean scrunched his nose as he squinted across the arena at the opposing human, "He can't really control Joshua all the way…" He muttered to himself.  _"Cas, Gordon doesn't always have full control of Joshua! It looks like his angel is able to take it back once in a while."_

" _Wonderful," Castiel's spirits lifted a little, "I guess it pays to be the head of God radio."_

Dean smiled, "Hey Gordo!"

Gordon glared across the space between them, not in the mood for any trash talking. "What?"

"Looks like Joshua's the one wearing the pants in that relationship." Dean's grin widened as he heckled.  _"Distracting him doesn't seem to be too hard, just gotta keep our bond strong and we should do just fine."_

Castiel never took his eyes away from Joshua's, both seeming to understand the position they were in. "I'm sorry, you know I have to…"

Joshua nodded, "Likewise, if I can help it I won't fight back."

Castiel nodded and leapt forward, his wings flaring up as he bore down on his brother with astonishing strength, a cry ripping from his throat as he attacked. Joshua looked ready to take on the strike when half-way through it he suddenly dove out of the way, taking much less damage than expected. His hands came up and began to glow with a blinding light, eyes flashing along with them; Gordon managed to complete their bond.

In the last second Castiel managed to duck and roll, quickly lifting himself up onto his hands and knees, ready to dive out of the way at a given moment. He watched Joshua's face go blank and realized that Gordon was using some kind of spell to control the angel fully, there was no way their soul and grace combination was strong enough to make it this far in the game otherwise.

" _It's a spell!"_  He shouted to Dean across their link.

Dean flinched at the sudden booming voice but quickly stared through Castiel's vision to see what he meant. There was a glowing sigil carved into Joshua's chest, obviously placed there by Gordon.  _"You just have to disrupt that symbol, right?"_  He replied.

" _Right, but I only have my body to do it."_  Castiel said frantically as he barely managed to escape a few holy-fire projectiles. "Looks like I'll have to get creative." He snarled, landing firmly on his feet, his wings doing everything needed to keep him balanced. He chanted a few words of Enochian and waved a hand over his opposite arm, once again leaping out of Joshua's way. Midair he finished the chant right before biting down on his wrist, breaking the skin with his teeth. The blood trickled down from his mouth but he didn't stop until he'd opened the wound wide enough to be able to bleed freely.

Joshua was incoherent but Gordon could still see the actions, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "What the hell is he doing?"

Castiel coated his arm in blood, continuing the chant until his blood started to glisten and glow. The final words of the chant were nearly screamed, as he seemed to tear something from his arm, something bright and shining.

Dean squinted through the light until he watched it form into what looked like a sword made of light. "That'll do the trick!" He shouted, a smile coming to his lips.

Gordon shook his head, "Doesn't matter what kind of weapon you have, we're still going to beat you."

Joshua burst upward, another angelic bomb ready in his hands. Castiel looked down and angled the blade appropriately, knowing full well that Gordon wasn't able to maneuver as quickly with a fake bond as a pair with a real one. He charged right back at his brother and in a blinding fury they passed one another, Castiel hurdling to the arena floor and cracking it on impact. Joshua froze in midair for a moment before slowly drifting down to join Castiel.

Dean looked closer and smiled widely when he saw Joshua's chest cut open, the symbol fucked royally. "Awesome job, Cas!"

Castiel exhaled heavily, looking up at Joshua who seemed enthralled with the handy-work. "You freed me." He muttered with a short laugh, "I can't believe it." He smiled warmly and went to hug Castiel, "Amazing, thank you." He whispered.

Castiel returned the gesture happily, "You're more than welcome."

Joshua raised a hand in the air as he turned toward the crowd, "I fight for Castiel." He said coolly right before he lied down in the ring. "Start the count."

The referee seemed confused but started counting to ten. Gordon screamed in frustration and shouted everything he could think of to get Joshua up again. Nothing worked and the final count was called out.

"Dean and Castiel win! They'll be moving on to fight Victor and Raphael, if they win then they're going up against the world champions!"

Castiel sighed lightly, closing his eyes to take in the moment. They were so close, so very close to the end of this tournament. Dean took his hand and kissed his cheek, "You were amazing, how's your arm?"

Castiel looked down at the bloody mess and shrugged, "It'll heal. We've got a week before our fight against Raphael, I sincerely hope we can manage to keep it together until then."

Dean smiled, "We've got a week, how about we not worry about it?"

Castiel smiled back and nodded. The start to a week that ended with revenge for his best friend, it didn't sound all  _that_  bad. "I want to see Balthazar." He decided and started walking.

"Right, I'm sure he'll try to stay and watch, depending on Azazel." Dean followed, "But don't get your hopes up, okay?"

Castiel glanced back, "He's pretty torn up from this morning's fight, I'm sure he's still in the infirmary." He hoped, anyway. He wanted to see Balthazar at least once more before the end of this, just in case he failed against Raphael, or Michael.


	32. Chapter 32

Castiel pushed open the doors to the infirmary, finding Balthazar hooked up to several machines, checking his vitals and a number of other things. He figured that he must've gone through something similar every time he went down, this thought occurred to him mostly because of Dean's emotional reaction to entering the room. "How is he?" Castiel looked up at a nurse who smiled when she saw him, "Balthazar, how is he?"

"Calm down, Castiel. Your brother will be fine, he's just resting now."

Castiel sighed his relief and dropped down next to the bed, looking over the tired expression Balthazar wore. "Where's his human?"

"He went out," She shrugged, "Said he had better things to do than sit and wait until his angel was ready to go."

Dean furrowed his brow, "Seriously? What the hell kind of partner is he?"

Castiel shook his head, "Not a partner, an owner. Balthazar isn't worth his time, apparently."

Balthazar's eyelids twitched and a low moan rumbled in his throat. Castiel went to his side immediately, peering down at him. "Cas?" Balthazar furrowed his brow briefly, "What are you doing here? Don't you have a match?"

"Against Joshua, and we already fought him." Castiel smiled softly and knelt down to see Balthazar a little closer.

"And?"

"We beat him," Dean grinned, "Or, he gave up." He shrugged, "Close enough anyway."

Balthazar smirked, "Sounds good," he groaned as he attempted to sit up though Castiel's hand pressing against his chest stopped him outright.

"Don't move, just rest." The distress written in Castiel's eyes spoke more than his words. Dean watched the two of them and couldn't help but feel a little uncertain as to how much he really knew about his angel. Their bond was amazing and he thought possibly perfect but from what he'd heard from Mrs. Milton and other training sessions that perfection meant they'd know one another inside and out. He didn't know Castiel's relation with Balthazar, he didn't know how deep it went or what the nature of it was. All he could really say is that they're close.

They stayed in the infirmary for a while before the nurse shooed them out, Balthazar needed to sleep a while longer before he was healed. They'd be moving to Moscow in the next couple of days, giving the media time to build up the coming battle. There would be re-caps of fights, analysis on each move made, every word spoken, and of course the growth of the partners. Castiel was covered in depth, his first appearance, their first battles and of course the first times he stood up against humanity. He was definitely a fan favourite this year, his spirit stood out above the strengths of the other competitors but mostly the way the other angels followed him.

Castiel sat quietly in their hotel room, watching the TV screens as his face came up repeatedly, much more often than Raphael's he noted. Dean was shown more often than Victor as well, he'd shown more heart than all of the other owners (he was pretty damn hot, too). Dean cared for Castiel, stayed by his side every time he was injured, and even threw a match to see if his angel was ok.

The screen flipped off catching Castiel's attention like a static shock. He looked up at Dean who only tossed the remote onto the couch casually. "Come on, we gotta head to the air port."

Castiel sighed and nodded as he stood. "So what happens after Raphael? They say these are the finals…"

"If we beat Raphael we're the winners of the tournament but not the world champions. Bella and Michael have dominated the field long enough that they don't have to participate in the whole tournament anymore; they're always the champions unless someone can beat them. Thing is no one has a shot at taking their title away unless they've run through the whole tournament and wins, meaning either Raphael gets that shot or we do." Dean grabbed their bags and tossed them over his shoulder, walking out the door with Castiel in tow.

"So if we win… will that make any difference?"

Dean didn't want to answer that, to snatch Castiel's hopes out from under him, but winning one tournament and becoming the world champions would only give them a reason for people to listen. It didn't necessarily mean they'd accomplish their goals so easily, they might even need to win a few more tournaments to prove they deserved to be there, like Michael and his owner had.

"Dean?" Castiel spoke quietly, slowing his pace and stalling in the empty hallway. "I can… feel your doubts…"

"I don't know if doing just this will do what you're hoping for… But we need people to have heard of us, we need people on our side before we can do anything." Dean turned back for a moment but quickly averted his eyes back down toward the elevator; the sight of heartbreak on Castiel's face was a little overwhelming. "We may need to do this more than just once, we'll need to keep fighting."

Castiel lowered his head and bit his bottom lip as it shook. He'd sworn to his brothers that he'd save them, but it was looking harder and harder the longer he stared at his goal. "Then… what can I do? What can any of us do?"

Dean felt himself lurch forward when Castiel's pain transferred over to him, his chest felt like someone was hammering it with nail-bat over and over. "Don't give up, okay?" His voice sounded harsh as he turned around again, bracing himself for those large watery eyes. Castiel swallowed and turned his gaze away without speaking. "Cas, we are the only ones trying and as long as we don't quit we'll find a way, alright? Just stay with me on this one, I said I'd help you and I –god help me- I won't let you down again."

Castiel glanced up again, his face still scrunched in worry though he inched closer, nodding his head slowly.

Dean smiled, glad that Castiel would trust him enough with this, even if they had no real plan in the making. As long as he kept his doubts at bay he could keep his angel's down too.

* * *

They made it to the terminal on time, passing by several television sets that were airing some particularly interesting news. Dean glanced up at the screen in time to see the words 'Crystal Wings' and his attention was taken. He wished he could make out what the Japanese woman was saying; he didn't understand the language in the slightest. From what he could make out on the screen, another several buildings had gone down, the activists weren't screwing around anymore. Even through the Japanese dialect Dean made out the name 'Freedom Fighters' mixed in with the jumble of words.

The expressions on the people's faces were fairly grim as they addressed the situation; the Freedom fighters had become a large problem for Crystal Wings, enough that international news had been made. Castiel glanced up and shook his head a little. "They're saying that the Freedom Fighters are demanding Crystal Wings release their captured angels. Not likely to happen which I'm sure means more destruction in our favour. A lot of angels have been freed already, forcefully."

Dean wasn't sure what to make of this, the Freedom Fighters were terrorists and yet they were forcing their cause much more successfully than Dean and Castiel had been doing. "They're… I just wish they could do it more peacefully, people are dying."

"How many angels do you think have died in those research labs?" Castiel spat as he turned away from the TV and headed toward the plane.

Dean flinched and nodded, "Yeah I get it, blood for blood, right? But when does it end, Cas? We can't keep paying back with more force and pain because that's what they'll return to us and it's just an ugly circle."

It was Castiel's turn to flinch, glancing back again as he slowed his pace. He didn't have anything to say to that, Dean was right.

The flight was like it always was, Dean felt ill and complained the entire way through while Castiel sat quietly and listened to him. They arrived in Moscow without much of a parade just yet, the finals would start the next day and that was when they'd be tossed through rings, something Castiel wasn't looking forward to.

Dean dropped into the bed first this time, the bags left on the floor discarded. He was too tired after such a long flight, being on edge and sick like he was. Castiel joined him after a few moments, slipping elegantly out of his clothes. He crawled in with Dean and curled against him with a soft sigh.

Dean looked over at his partner and smiled, "You know, I love that you've never slept with clothes on."

Castiel glanced up, a hint of blush on his cheeks, "Yes… Well I prefer to be natural when I rest."

Dean pet his cheek, and kissed him gently. "I love you, Cas."

"Love you too." Castiel whispered softly and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was a big day but far from the biggest.


	33. Chapter 33

The alarm in their room went off like a siren, Dean flying up out of bed to shut it off just in time to get close enough to watch Castiel smash it with his angel-Force powers. "Dude… you should be a jedi."

Castiel looked up tiredly, his brow furrowed. "What's that?"

"Uh… never mind." Dean waved it off and headed for the shower. He'd barely slept last night at all; it started great, Castiel breathing softly next to him, lulling him to sleep himself. He'd been pretty close, too, at least until his mind carried itself away. He'd racked his brain with thoughts of the coming match, memories of Balthazar hurdling to the ground so easily and of course flashbacks of Balthazar's arm shoved into Castiel's belly. He tried to tell himself over and over that Castiel had lost that match because of Dean, because Castiel was distracted enough to be injured and Dean leapt into the ring, forfeiting the match. He tried to tell himself this… but his mind would have none of it.

Dean's nerves were shot as he stood in the shower, the hot water soaking him as he stared at the wall, mind racing. He didn't hear Castiel enter and when the angel's hands snacked around his torso he flinched dramatically. "Cas?" he turned back to see a calm, peaceful expression. Dean scrunched his face, confused. Castiel had seemed so distraught over all of this, everything weighted down on him and the way he'd been talking lately sounded similar to how Dean felt now.

"Hey." Castiel smiled, stepping closer to remove the gap between them. His eyes trailed up Dean's naked form slowly, giving enough time to get a good look but not too long to imply he was only looking for one thing at the moment. "You're stressed."

"You don't say.." Dean grumbled, turning his head away. He'd been with Castiel this whole time, there were so many moments where the angel had lost all of his strength and just worried about things, something always managed to push his spirits up, make him want to keep fighting. Dean wasn't sure how long Castiel's new found reason, whatever it was, would last but he knew he'd have to be there for him when it fell again. He was tired, exhausted from all of this.

Castiel, despite Dean's sarcastic snap, remained cool-headed. He gently touched Dean's jaw and angled their heads together, resting his forehead against Dean's. "We've done all we can, all that's left to do now is fight."

Dean stared into the brightest blue eyes he'd seen in a long time, his heart skipped as he wrapped his arms around Castiel. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He said with a smile. The last thing they needed today was an argument between them, something to weaken their bond. He'd never forgive himself if Castiel lost because he was the one who wasn't able to hack it, the one who started this whole thing in the first place.

"We still have to face Michael after this, Raphael is just a stepping stone." Castiel whispered, sliding his head down, brushing his cheek against Dean's, and laying against Dean's shoulder. They stood together, water soaking them to hide the tears they both shed. They'd slipped into their bond without realizing it, Dean could feel every little insecurity and influx of emotion that Castiel had been feeling all night as well. The angel looked calm and ready on the outside; inwardly he was just as small and scared as Dean.

_Dean opened his eyes and found his angel already curled against him. "When did we…?"_

_Castiel's eyes flicked up to see him and he shook his head, "I don't know." He clutched Dean's arm close to himself, pressing his head down further. He felt safe here in Dean's arms; he couldn't explain it in words. Dean was a human and he was an angel and yet he still wanted Dean to be there to protect him, to help save him. He could hear Dean's heartbeat, steady but unsure. "We'll… we'll be okay." Castiel said softly._

_Dean nodded, "Being scared is normal, Cas." He was telling himself just as much as he was talking to his angel. "It's a big fight, everybody gets scared. That doesn't mean we can't do it, it doesn't mean we're weak."_

_Castiel looked up at him and smiled a little, it was small but still there. He leaned up and kissed Dean sweetly, innocently._

_Dean smiled back and returned the kiss passionately. As they made out sparks shot up between them, causing Castiel to flinch backward again. "What the hell?"_

_Dean ignored them and pulled Castiel closer again, his hand run up and down the angel's side, slipping around his back and finding the gentle curve of his ass. Dean smiled into their next kiss as his fingers traced the smooth skin until he located Castiel's entrance._

_Castiel pushed at him, "Dean, you can't do that here." His tone was far from scolding though, a light gasp at the end of his sentence told Dean more than the words. Dean's eyes skimmed over Castiel's now trembling torso, prodding the puckered flesh teasingly. Castiel moaned and fell against him again, his hips bucking backward subtly. "Dean… it's too… it's too risky…"_

" _What could happen?" Dean whispered his response, not terribly interested in the answer unless it had something to do with Castiel bending over for him._

_Castiel's breath hitched as he pressed his slowly hardening cock to Dean's leg, cheeks flushing a deep red. "Dean… Please we…" he rolled his head against Dean's chest briefly with another gasp that quickly rumbled into a growl. "Fuck it" He snarled, throwing his leg around Dean's waist and pressing down on him, Dean's fingers penetrating him with the movement. Castiel tossed his head backward the moment he felt the burning sensation around his entrance, growling out repetitive moans and curses. Not capable of the patience it took to work himself open Castiel thrust himself up and down on Dean's fingers greedily, hungry for the feeling of being filled._

_Dean didn't wait much longer than that, he took a firm hold of Castiel's hips to slow him, his fingers dislodging from their prostate-prodding position. "Easy, baby." Dean smiled, adjusting himself appropriately to give his angel what he wanted. Castiel snorted displeasingly but paused and waited, shuddering when Dean's cock pressed up against his eagerly waiting anus. Castiel gasped when the pressure was introduced, it felt new again, like it had the first time. He shivered and whined, wings flaring upward of their own accord._

_Dean grunted with surprise, he hadn't expected it to feel_ this _good. Castiel squirming above him helplessly as his body heated up, tight ass clenching its muscles around his dick. Dean reached up and pulled Castiel down from his perch, locking eyes with the lust-blown pupils his angel stared back with. He reached up into soft feathers, feeling them shudder and shake from his touch, Dean smiled and caressed them carefully, listening to Castiel's mewling._

_Within moments he had Castiel bucking again and nearly screaming his name, wings as erect as he'd ever seen them and eyes so much darker. Castiel really did shriek when Dean finally thrust upward into him, letting his wings go and reaching down to his cock. The angel trembled uselessly trying to find some kind of release from the tingling in his wings and fire that licked at his skin._

_Dean could hardly believe how easy it was to make Castiel come, his boyfriend crying out for him like it was his first time all over again. Dean was even more surprised when he himself came so easily like it was_ his _first time. Castiel collapsed onto him, heaving and squirming, his wings flapping out of sync briefly._

_Dean closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying the flaring sensations lightly drumming inside him. It was warm, tingly and fuzzy. It fluttered around inside him like a little butterfly or a tiny angel, quietly enjoying its time there._

_After a few minutes like this Dean realized that the warm and fuzzy feelings grew hotter and spikey, flashing violently to the surface. "Agh!" he hunched forward, trying to sit up but he couldn't, that feeling was holding him firmly to the floor. Dean's eyes opened and he looked down at Castiel who was curled up against him, eyes squeezed shut in pain, his arm over Dean's chest and pressing him there. "Cas?"_

_Castiel opened his eyes worriedly, looking up at Dean again as tears spilled over, "Dean… it… it hurts so much." His voice cracked through the pain, eyes scrunched shut again as he pushed his face against Dean's side._

_Dean watched the light glow of Castiel's skin blaze with a brilliant light that blasted over the both of them. "CAS!" Dean shouted into the blinding white, unable to feel Castiel next to him._

Dean flailed as he sat up and snapped his head down to look at Castiel, they were both leaning against the shower wall, soaked to the bone. Castiel was slumped against him; limbs mostly limp as he twitched.  
"CAS!" Dean shook him by the shoulders, "Cas look at me!"

Castiel's head rolled to the side for a moment, nearly breaking Dean's heart in the process except he watched the subtle flinch of his angel's eyelids. "Dean?" Castiel mumbled, slowly regaining his bearings and looking up in confusion. "Were we… Did we.."

"Have sex in our connected, bond world thingy? Yeah." Dean grinned, pulling Castiel into a hug, resting his cheek on the matted black hair of his lover. Relief was the only word Dean could use to describe the feeling he had in that moment. "What happened to you?"

"I… I don't know." Castiel rubbed his forehead, "I feel… Strange, like I just forgot something important."

Dean looked him over, "You look fine…"

"Yeah."

"Well then why worry?" Dean turned the shower off, "Come on, let's dry off and relax for a bit, our big ceremony starts in a few hours, gotta welcome the last survivors after all."

Castiel sighed and nodded, his hand finding his head again, as if the motion would charge something. "Right…"


	34. Chapter 34

_"In the last two decades, all over the world, a new species had become known to mankind. Angels. The biblical teachings hadn't proven to be as powerful as those that believed them had hoped; the response to such a creature was simple: Catch them. Train them. Make them our slaves."_

His Communications report right before his 18th birthday. Dean could see himself standing up before the class and for the first time listened to the words he'd put together.  _'What kind of a douche was I?'_  He thought dismally, knowing the answer. He'd actually said the word 'slaves' and then later acted like a high and mighty creep to beat the band. No wonder Castiel didn't like him at first. He was shallow and personality-less, only wanted an angel because they were beautiful and so he could fight in the tournaments, and of course he'd almost raped Castiel that one night.

Dean was lost in thought completely throughout the last ceremony. They were being paraded down the street to Moscow's arena; they had the space to spare for the sport in Russia and they definitely used it. Moscow's coliseum was enormous, the biggest Dean had seen so far and yet he was caught on past events and things he'd done and could have done instead. For one he'd know where Sam was now, and Sam probably wouldn't have even left if Dean had chosen a different approach to this. Why hadn't he listened to Sam earlier? Dean mentally kicked himself for ignoring the fact that his little brother had been right all along, angels were living, breathing beings and deserved to be treated as equals. But no, he was pig-headed and stupid and now Sam was missing and he had douchebag memories of his first encounters with the love of his life.

"Dean," Castiel's voice penetrated his thoughts immediately, his angel had remained quiet until now but clearly Castiel was done letting Dean think and brood. "You look angry." Castiel said simply, his eyes trailing up and down Dean's face.

"I'm alright," he muttered, "Just… thinking about Sammy."

Castiel nodded and cupped Dean's cheek gently, fingers rubbing against his stubble absently, "Something tells me that he'll be just fine, Dean. Sam is a strong boy, even if you don't see him that way."

Dean sighed and looked at the cameras flashing in their direction, Castiel was right too, of course. Sam always managed to surprise Dean, over and over.

"Besides," Castiel glared down at the watchful camera lenses, "We should keep our emotions still while we're out here among these spying vultures, they'll only ever remember the moment you break down."

Dean nodded and took Castiel's hand firmly, pulling his angel into a hug. "Sorry, I got distracted."

"You're allowed." Castiel smiled, his thoughts trailing a little on its own. After that little adventure in their bonded world he'd felt weird, something continually bubbled behind the scenes of his conscious mind but he couldn't quite pin it down and figure out what it was. It bothered him but right before a match with Raphael was not the time to be considering these things.

They walked into their change room and sat down, it was another hour before the fight would start, people were getting snacks and finding their seats. Dean rolled his head back and stared up at the ceiling anxiously, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest at a less than normal pace for his resting heartbeat. He took a slow breath and glanced over at his angel to see if the feeling was mutual.

Castiel sat hunched forward, elbows resting on knees, and his hands folded together, fingers and thumbs fidgeting amongst themselves. Dean could swear half the uneasiness he felt was from Castiel, just looking at him spiked Dean's anxiety meter. "Calm down, Cas." He pat his partner's shoulder comfortingly. "We're here now, remember? That whole 'nothing else we can do about it' thing?"

Castiel's brow lifted slightly and he smirked, remembering he'd said that a few times himself. "Can't help but be nervous, you know?"

"It's a normal response, just like you told me to calm down earlier this morning. What happened to that little spurt of courage?" Dean grinned back.

"You saw right through me and you know it." Castiel huffed, leaning back again and finally relaxing his shoulders, staring up at the ceiling. His eyes clouded for a moment as a look of anger consumed them before he quickly wiped it away like it were nothing. "It's almost time, we should get ready."

Dean nodded slowly though he caught his angel's arm before he could retreat. "What was with that face?"

Castiel shook his head vaguely, "It's… I used to have this habit… I'd… I had prayed every day and whenever something tough came up I'd ask Him for help…" He scowled again, not hiding it this time. "I don't know if He ever listened to me."

"Does it matter?" Dean kissed his cheek softly, that smile never leaving his lips. "You're here now, you're doing what you can with or without His help."

Castiel nodded, his hand finding his forehead again in that 'I want to remember something' motion. "It's… I haven't thought about Him in a while and I don't know where these prayers are coming up from, I haven't prayed in years…"

Dean led Castiel to the dressing area where new robes were lain out for him. "I wouldn't think about it too much, you're feeling stressed and the last time you were this at ends with yourself you had something to pray to. Just a habit, nothing to worry about."

Castiel sighed his agreement and slipped out of his clothes, grabbing at the beautiful material displayed for him. It was pure white, like the other ones but this time it shimmered a little and was silky and even a little slippery to touch. He pulled it over his head and kept in a soft coo as the fabric splayed over his skin, a light shudder running up his back. "It feels great." He whispered with a smile though part of him really despised the clothing out of principle.

Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel and kissed his cheek again, "Glad you can still enjoy the little things." He snickered.

* * *

The bell rang for them and after a deep breath they marched out, wings high though Castiel was far from excited about it. He followed the rules like they asked though really he didn't have to; the control over them by the arenas hadn't gone back up as far as he knew. Crowley would have mentioned something, or so Castiel figured. Dean gave him a light tap on the ass as Castiel hopped into the ring, the angel glancing back neutrally.

' _Why did you do that?'_  He couldn't help but ask over their auto-connect.

' _What? I like your ass. We had this discussion back in training with Mrs. Milton, remember?'_  Dean grinned up at the raised eyebrow Castiel gave him.

' _You're a clown.'_  Castiel smiled and turned his attention toward Raphael's unamused expression, those dark eyes lingering on him like he were a stain in the room. Castiel swallowed hard and took a slow breath. "You don't look like you're on my side in all of this." He dared to say.

Raphael shook his head, "I understand what Balthazar explained to me and I see what he's doing but you…" he smirked, barely scoffing. "You're just a no-name angel, Castiel. An arch-angel should be in charge of this movement."

Castiel's eyes narrowed, "Raphael this isn't about who's leading what, it's about what we're standing for, the why's and how's. I'm only starting it, there's nothing to lead."

Raphael seemed a little confused at that; his mind had apparently been lingering on who was in charge. Angels had always been led by something or someone; if they were good at surviving on their own they wouldn't have all been caught like they had. But Castiel's explanation struck a small cord in him. Balthazar's words made more sense than they had days ago. He smiled graciously and bowed his head in a short nod, "You have me there, Castiel. However, as it was with Balthazar, I cannot stand down."

Castiel nodded, "I understand, you aren't the first that's said that to me."

The bell rang and with it an explosion of power. Castiel hurdled backward, his spread wings catching the overflow before he could curl them inward. He crashed into the crowd, this arena had to protection for its viewers like previous ones had, obviously Russia was a little more intense than the others. People were shocked, most stepping away from the downed angel, some concerned for the ones smushed underneath.

Castiel groaned and sat upright again; mentally surprised that he'd hardly felt that energy surge. Balthazar had been seriously wounded during his fight with Raphael, he'd seen a similar display of power in that match and yet he seemed to withstand fewer injuries.  _'Just lucky.'_  He decided before leaping forward again, crashing into Raphael halfway to the stadium floor.

Dean flinched every time they struck blows, a sharp blinding light streaming from their hands and extending off their bodies like weapons. He was the one leading Castiel, his mind was steadily focusing on the fight but something itched at the back of his mind like it had been doing for his angel. He didn't quite get it, wasn't entirely sure why it lingered there like a goddamn mosquito but it was there and not leaving him alone.  _'I can't concentrate with that lurking there…'_  He thought angrily while Castiel barely managed to hold his ground though it was quickly slipping away from him.

Dean thought back to their sexual encounter within their bonded realm, the feeling of it and how Castiel practically exploded with light.  _'That's it!'_  His eyes widened when he realized it,  _'That light's just like the light they're using, it's power! Holy energy!'_  Dean easily slid into his conscious mind to find their bond.

_Castiel sat concentrated; his eyes focused straight ahead, hand interlocked with Dean's. "Cas," Dean whispered excitedly, leaning in to kiss his angel's neck. "We need to have sex."_

" _Not now, Dean." Castiel snapped anxiously, "Raphael's kicking my ass."_

" _Exactly!" Dean pushed Castiel down and went right for it, taking the fairly limp flesh into his mouth, tongue easily massaging it._

_Castiel yelped lightly, his back arching from the sudden sensations. "Dean!" He gasped, a soft squeal escaping him, "What on earth are you thinking? We don't have time for thi-AH!" He slammed his hand down against the floor as Dean's saliva coated finger poked into him, wiggling away. Castiel's eyes squeezed shut, brow curled upward as his dick quickly hardened between Dean's lips._

_Dean didn't bother explaining; instead he worked his boyfriend up to the edge, Castiel moaning and pleading for more, and then removed his fingers and lifted off his angel's throbbing cock. "Dean…" Castiel whimpered, his cheeks flushed and body writhing upward for more contact, "Dean… please…"_

_Dean shushed him softly as he slowly pushed his dick inside the heated, flexing muscles of Castiel's ass; the angel throwing his head back with an excited cry was the response. Dean took a moment to adjust but once he had a rhythm and found Castiel's prostate it didn't take long. Castiel screamed, fingers digging into Dean's biceps as he came between them, soaking their chests and even a little of their chins. Dean dropped down as he followed suit, smearing the mess a little more as he did so._

_Castiel gasped lightly, catching his breath and regaining his bearings. That warm tingle was back and getting hotter by the second. "Dean… Dean it…" Castiel tensed, remembering the searing pain he'd felt last time but it didn't come, instead a surge of energy wracked his limbs and caused a minor convulsion._

Dean shook his head free from the alteration in consciousness, eyes flashing upward to see that Raphael was indeed handing Castiel his ass. The archangel was vicious, it didn't matter if Castiel was only half-responsive, he was still taking the beating of a lifetime. And yet it hardly seemed to make a big difference. Castiel had been a little out of it for the last few minutes and took some serious blows during that time, and he was still upright. Most other angels would probably be a smudge on the wall by now.

Raphael nearly roared in anger at Castiel as the angel flopped to the ground, still standing but hardly conscious. "Why won't you go down? What kind of spell have you been working?" It didn't make any sense that a regular angel would be able to withstand this kind of assault without going into a coma.

Castiel's body shuddered and when he opened his eyes to look up they shone with some major angel mojo, his wings flaring upward in a dominant display. "You can't hurt me." He raised a hand and flicked his wrist, sending Raphael across the stadium, making sure to land him into the wall and not the crowd. "I have something…" Castiel smiled as he walked across the arena floor, soft yet powerful. "I've found something no one else has seen in years." He looked at Dean with that elegant smile for a moment then back at his brother, "I suggest you stand down now."

Raphael looked up, only now feeling the strength weighted behind Castiel, a strength that hadn't been there moments before. "Where did you get this power?" he shuddered, finding he couldn't bring himself to stand.

"A gift," Castiel stood over Raphael, his eyes quickly shifting to Victor who was standing by in complete awe at his angel in the wall. "Well?"

Victor could feel through their bond, as awkward and imperfect as it was he could still feel through Raphael. Castiel lingered over them with monstrous strength and could easily win this match with the snap of his fingers. "Alright," Victor looked over at the referee, unable to really fathom what he was about to say. "We surrender."

The referee calls it and as the crowd cheers, a little confused, Castiel stumbles and collapses at Raphael's feet. Dean rushes over, quickly lifting the downed angel into his arms, "Cas!"

Raphael shook his head, "A fleeting gift, it seems." He smirked, "Michael won't fall for such a trick."

Castiel rolled his eyes lazily in Raphael's direction, "It was no trick, I'm just exhausted after using it…"

Dean scrunched his face in confusion, "What gift, Cas?"

"I'll let you know later." Castiel smiled tiredly, "In the meantime, carry me."

Dean sighed and lifted his angel up, rubbing a hand through the feathers vindictively, "Whatever you say, my queen."

Castiel groaned loudly, his hips thrusting forward instinctively. Raphael looked away and walked off, not wanting to watch his brother get molested right in front of him. Dean chuckled and hauled Castiel back to their dressing room, ignoring all the screaming fans and announcers. "We're tournament winners." He grinned as he laid his partner down on a bench.

Castiel nodded, slowly sitting upright, "Yes… I suppose we are. But we still need to beat Michael, that's the real trick."

Dean shrugged and hunched forward, "Alright, so gift?"

Castiel smiled fidgeted, "He spoke to me, Dean."

"He?" Dean cocked his head to one side curiously.

"My – Our Father. God." Castiel looked up happily, "That thing I wanted to remember, it was Him. He said that He's stuck and can't do much from His position but He wanted to help us out. I'm a little concerned with His situation but He's alive! He's weak and, from what it sounded like, in a shitty spot but He's helping."

Dean's expression was slack-jawed at best. "He's… God's doing stuff?"

"Trying to." Castiel nodded, "The gift he gave me was a one time thing, that burst of strength was something only my human partner could trigger." He shook his head, "But speaking with Him is… It's difficult, He's still overwhelming even in a weakened state and after we… well… fucked during our connection, I just wasn't in the mindset to be able to handle it so I guess I forgot." He ran a hand through his hair, "I have no idea how we'll beat Michael though…"

Dean took Castiel's hands and squeezed them, "One step at a time. God's got his ass in gear, finally and we beat Raphael. That's good for today, let's leave it at that."

Castiel laughed a little, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Dean grinned, "Gotta ask though, does this mean having sex in that consciousness won't fire you up anymore?"

"Not really, at least I don't think so." Castiel shook his head, "But one thing at a time." He used Dean's words as he pat his human's hands.


	35. Chapter 35

The news went nuts for the next few days and they were getting phone calls about photo ops and everything else. Castiel sat in confusion as they were hauled to a television station to speak to an interviewer. They were powdered and dressed in beautiful clothing; these people even did their hair. They both hardly had any hair! It was ridiculous the amount of effort put forward by these people.

Finally they were sitting before the cameras across from a rather flamboyant looking man, his legs crossed elegantly and a strange look in his eyes. "So, gentlemen!" He started as soon as they said the cameras were rolling. "You're the winners of this year's world tournament!"

Castiel scrunched his nose and furrowed his brow even further. "What do you mean? We still need to face Michael, we haven't won anything yet."

The man laughed a little, looking at the camera as he did so. "Well this is as far as anyone's ever gotten so we tend to celebrate this milestone, no one's beaten Bella and Michael before."

"We will." Castiel said confidently though deep in his gut he knew they would be far from ready for this. "We have to."

People were calling this guy Jay, or something so Dean decided to pipe in before Castiel went too serious for this interview, "Jay, you're Jay, right?" The guy nodded, "Right, well we are the winners of this tournament but we're aiming for world champions so for us we aren't quite there yet."

Jay nods and sits forward in his seat as he gives a cue to someone backstage. On a large screen next to them starts a video collage of their different moments throughout the tournament. Castiel looked up at it and wasn't sure how he should feel about it, the look on his face brought back so many memories of his anxiety back then, fears and stress rolled into one entirely unwilling mind.

Dean reached over and drew his mind away from his thoughts with a hand sliding up his thigh, Dean's expression soft and comforting.

"That's what I wanted to cover next," Jay beamed excitedly, "You two are romantically involved, yes?"

Castiel quickly nodded, hopping a little closer to Dean for emphasis. Dean smiled, throwing his arm around his angel's shoulders, "That's right, I love Cas more than anything." He received an instant smile for that.

"And are you the only one who can call him by that nick name? I hear he gets a little touchy about it." Jay inquired curiously.

Dean furrowed his brow, "For one, he lets those closest to him call him Cas. And two, he's sitting right here, you can ask him yourself." Dean knew that the world wasn't accustomed to treating angels like people but if he did what he could to enforce on national television they might get the hint.

Jay looked a little astonished but nodded, "My apologies. Castiel, may I ask you why you don't let just anyone call you that?"

"Dean told once that it's a loving gesture to give someone a nick name, it shows how close the two of you are. I don't want people to assume closeness with me, they haven't earned the right call me Cas." Castiel explained solemnly, taking it very seriously as he had always done. Dean still smiled at that.

"May I?" Jay figured he'd ask.

"I don't know you, for now you may call me Castiel." The angel didn't hesitate to deny the request, his eyes never leaving Jay's as he spoke.

The interviewer seemed genuinely shaken; Castiel was so intense and honest that it nearly radiated from him around the room. "Well… Alright then, worth a shot. I want to ask for both sides of this story since Castiel seems to be legitimately different in behavior. Dean, can you tell me about when you two first met?"

Dean smiled, "Well I can say that it feels like ten years ago by now. On my 18th birthday my dad went out with his friends with some 'equipment'," he waved his fingers to indicate the quotation, "He went to get my birthday present out in the middle of nowhere near our hometown in Kansas. He bought a bunch of cheeseburgers and set them down in the middle of a clearing, one of the cheapest angel nets strung up above. Next thing I know I'm being woken up and ushered downstairs to see what it is.

"I see this… mound of net and chain wrapped around a bundle of feathers and skin. Cas was… So scared and looking back now I wish I had acted differently toward him. He was beautiful; the brightest blue eyes I'd ever seen stared up at me. They bound him and freed him from the net and he just," Dean arches his hand toward the other, smacking them together, "tackles me to the ground and screams at me; 'Why would you do this!'" Dean startled everyone on set as he did his best to match the pain in Castiel's tone.

Dean settled again and looked down at his hands, "And I'm ashamed to say that all I could focus on was that fact that he was naked and sitting on me. His emotions were so intense and I was so unprepared for that, I couldn't answer him." He glared up toward Jay, eyes shifting over to the camera for a moment, "I'm disgusted with how I saw them, angels are intelligent beings, they're alive like us and yet when my brother tried to tell me, explain how pig-headed I was… I didn't listen to him, I retorted with things like 'they're animals' or 'they aren't human'. But you know something? No, they aren't human but they aren't animals either. Castiel is my boyfriend, he is the love of my life and I would die for him."

Jay and many others on set were floored by Dean's statement; no one in history had cared for an angel this way, or had even tried for an emotional attachment with angels. Jay was at a loss for what he could possibly follow that with.

"If I could say something," Castiel's heart raced as he spoke, eyes glancing back toward Dean repeatedly as a dark blush reddened his cheeks. Jay just nodded his approval since he had very little to say at this point. "I want to thank you for asking us both that question," Castiel addressed the interviewer with a pleasant tone of voice. "For giving me a chance to address an angel's thoughts on the concept, I appreciate it." He looked at the cameras, "Though I want the world to understand as well so I will address them." He took a deep breath and calmed himself before speaking, "I'm not sure how many of you understand my situation and drive, or how many of you even care, but I think you should listen now. This whole thing started about twenty years ago when different ambassadors from Earth waited for the approaching crowd of angels.

"I wasn't in the front and I can't say I know what the higher ranking individuals discussed but I do know that I was hoping for the best. Heaven is in shambles and it's impossible for us to live there anymore. Our Father's in a terrible position and is unable to help, I fear the worst for Him but I can't say why He's unable for certain. The point is, angels need a place to live; we needed somewhere to go as our home died. The next best place would be to co-exist with our Father's other creations on Earth so we went for it.

"I was unprepared for what happened next, at the front of the line angels started falling victim to the humans' –your- primitive angel technology. I suppose it was made quickly after the first few ambassador missions when messengers were sent to Earth as we discussed the possibility of moving. Regardless, the day we were supposed to settle on Earth was the day that these weapons were used against us, my brothers scattered in masses but none could fly, we'd stood together in too large a group, our wings needed more room. Balthazar found me in the hysteria and told me to run, that was the last time I saw him before this tournament."

Dean watched the sparkle of tears in Castiel's eyes as the angel recalled the traumatic experience again. He wanted to say something but didn't want to interrupt. "I wasn't alone for the first while," Castiel continued after a brief pause, "There were several angels with me hiding in the wilderness but one by one they stopped returning and as I watched my last sibling fall to a human trap I knew we were done for, there was no way I could free them all without being captured myself.

"I spent the longest time alone, no contact with anyone and no one to talk to. I was lonely and the scent of those cheeseburgers was… enticing at the very least." He shook his head with a small smile, "I still cannot believe I fell for that."

Dean pat his should with a laugh, "Like human, like angel I guess."

Castiel nodded, "The whole capturing experience was terrifying. A net fell down on me and my heart stopped, of course I knew what I'd just done to myself instantly but that didn't stop me from screaming and struggling against a spell I had no hope of beating. I was scared; I'd heard about different angel testings and tortures and had no idea what kind of men these were. I curled into myself as best I could, hoping I could disappear into the earth and they wouldn't see me tangled there but of course that never happened."

_His chest lifted and fell rapidly as he heard the sounds of men approaching, the ground crunching beneath their feet. His arms and legs thrashed desperately but futilely, a long whine escaping him as fear gripped him more intensely._ 'Father help me' _His mind shrieked over and over, his heart pounding hard against his chest and in his ears, his breathing not slowing._ 'Please father, please!' _Still nothing._

_He lashed out at the men as they hefted the net onto their vehicle, he had been too terrified and frantic to really register that they'd even started to drag him. Regardless of what he did now it was too late, he was caught._

_Castiel curled up to the best of his ability, his head down and knees up, tears streaking his cheeks._

He narrowed his eyes in remembrance and shook his head, trying to toss the emotional wreckage aside. "The sound of that enchantment, the one that binds us to you, it's horrifying… You know that you've just been enslaved and there's no possible way for you to undo it on your own, you're forever bound in spiritual shackles to someone you don't know, someone who may or may not use you or harm you for amusement. This is how I felt, this is how we all felt when it happened." Castiel took Dean's hand, "I'm used to it now and I'd never leave Dean but…" His eyes shifted slightly, "But I'm still chained. He wishes me to do something I can't help but do it, even if I don't want to. That hasn't happened recently but it's always possible."

Jay nodded, "And what were your first thoughts when you saw Dean and his family?"

Castiel shrugged, "Like he said, I'd asked him why. I wanted to know, since this was the first time I'd ever really spoken to a human, I wanted to know why they would do these things to us. What had we done to deserve it? What did they want? I just wanted answers… John, Dean's father, was and still is a pig-headed bigot. Kept calling me 'it' and 'thing'. Mary, Dean's mother, looked nice and I assumed she meant well but at first she was fairly neutral if not leaning toward fearful of me. Later on she taught me how to make Dean's favourite dessert, I don't think she's as scared now but at first it was tense between us.

"Sam is Dean's younger brother and the first time I heard his voice he was scolding his family for seeking to capture me in the first place. He was on my side from minute one, he urged them to free me, continually corrected John when I was called 'it'. It was refreshing to meet him, a glimmer of light in all the darkness I was feeling. I was collared and Dean kept checking me out which was an unwelcomed gesture at the time. Sam gave me a blanket and was the first person to ever tell me they were sorry. I… I honestly miss Sam; he was the person who made this bearable, at least in the beginning. Now he's gone somewhere alone… Sam if you're alive, I'd really like to see you."

Dean hadn't realized how much Sam had meant to Castiel as well, and here he'd been brooding and gloomy thinking he was the only one feeling that way. He made a mental note to apologize later.

"And the decision to join the tournament and Angel battling?" Jay trailed off, he was curious and was a little off the question sheet he'd been given but Castiel and Dean seemed more interesting than the stupid questions he was supposed to ask.

"Originally I had wanted to be the best," Dean offered easily, "But as I grew closer to Cas I just didn't want to see him hurt."

"At which time we continued because it was my idea." Castiel chimed in, "I wanted to reach a point in this odd celebrity hierarchy where people would listen to what I have to say. I want to free my brothers and sister from their shackles and after all that… I really hope that we can morph a place where we can all live together, humans and angels as equals. Or at least that's what I'd like to accomplish at some point."

Jay smiled, "Well after hearing your stories we'll have to see how the audience reacts."

Castiel nodded, his eyes skimming over the camera's lens, "I hope they consider it."

"Well that's all we have time for today," Jay beamed toward the camera, "Dean Winchester and his partner, Castiel, everyone!"

The cameras shut off and they were congratulated and thanked for coming out. Dean and Castiel waved as they moved to leave the building, over hearing a small group of crew talking as they walked by.

"Load a crap that is."

"Yeah, they have to beat Bella and Michael to get the championship title and no one's ever come close."

"Didn't he almost kill an angel once?"

"Basically, the angel was pretty much comatose by the end of the fight and let's be honest here, that Castiel is no arch angel, no way he can beat one."

Castiel glanced over there but Dean led him out anyway. "Dean…"

"No reason to get involved in petty arguments Cas," Dean said simply.

"But I beat Raphael." Castiel nearly growled though it trailed off at the end. He beat Raphael, sure but that was thanks to a gift from his father, a gift that there was no way God would be able to give again. It was a fluke that he beat Raphael and now he was going on to face Michael without any kind of special weaponry at his disposal? These people had a point, regardless of how much he disliked that they made it.

"You did beat Raphael and we will beat Michael," Dean continued, partially aware of Castiel's mental activity. "We've got another day before the fight, let's spend it calmly and supportingly. We can do this, Cas. We've gotten this far already, just one more step and we're world champs."

"But again," Castiel sighed, "What will that accomplish, really?"

"More interviews like today, for one. So many people heard our stories and saw us together, the way we are with one another. No one has ever seen a human stand up for an angel like that, no one else has what we have. I think it's important that they see it." Dean said firmly.

Castiel nodded in agreement, "One step at a time but we'll get this yet." He smiled and took Dean's hand, "But… Thank you, Dean."

"Why?" Dean smirked, "You're welcome, but why?"

"Because I could never have felt this way without someone like you, forgiving humans for everything and moving forward. I'm not afraid anymore, thanks to you." Castiel kissed his cheek, "So thank you."

Dean returned the gesture, arm snaking around Castiel's waist. "You're more than welcome."

Castiel rested his head against Dean's shoulder, a soft sigh leaving him, "Love of your life… Did you mean that?"

"Every word." Dean stopped walking and pulled Castiel around to face him, "Cas, when this is all over… I don't know when but at some point, will you stay with me?"

Castiel stared up at him, confused that it was even a question. "Of course, where else would I stay?"

"No, what I want to say…" Dean knew he wasn't doing it traditionally but he also knew Castiel wasn't aware of the traditions so it didn't matter. "Cas, will you marry me?"

Castiel may not know the traditions but he knew enough to understand the weight behind that question. His eyes widened immediately, a spark of emotion shooting through him. He laughed, a wide smile stretching his lips as tears glistened at the rim of eyes. "Yes… Yes of course!" he threw his arms around Dean's shoulders, pressing his cheek to Dean's neck. "Of course I will."

Dean hugged him close, unable to describe how he was feeling in that moment. "I love you, Cas."

"I love you too," Castiel sobbed gently, hands gripping Dean's shirt and clinging to him. The thought that Dean would spend the rest of his life with him, would love him enough… It was more than he was used to and after everything he could hardly keep his emotions in. "I love you so much" he cried.

Dean smiled and ran a hand through Castiel's hair, cupping the back of his head gently.


	36. Chapter 36

Their bed was the next logical place to be, Castiel's mind was nearly floating with excitement and happiness he intentionally ignored the fact that Dean hated to travel that fast. In moments Dean found himself pressed down into the soft fabric of their sheets, Castiel's mouth hungrily nipping at his lips and tongue moving past his teeth. Dean's arms came up, wrapping around his angel and holding him close, a smile creeping up between kisses.

Castiel threw his clothing off with practiced ease, remaining close to Dean's face to continue making out. He rolled his hips down against his lover's waist, moaning lightly at the friction. It'd been too long since they'd done anything; stress seemed to keep them at their wits end.

"Dean," Castiel gasped roughly, trailing kisses along Dean's jaw and to his ear, "I want you to fuck me."

A shiver snaked down Dean's spine, eyes flicking up to meet Castiel's as his angel slowly leaned back, pupils blown wide with lust-filled want. "Cas," his hand traced Castiel's cheek carefully sliding back until he managed a firm hold of the dark mess of hair, pulling Castiel down forcefully to his shoulder. He licked the angel's earlobe, dragging his teeth along it, "All you have to do is bend over." He growled in return, releasing his grip.

Castiel groaned, his body shifting almost like a wave as he gained a better sense of his balance, muscles tensing subtly as he rose above Dean. His eyes were burning with desire and defiance but he slowly slid off his partner, allowing Dean to get up and out of the way. Castiel knelt on the bed facing Dean, eyes trailing up his man as Dean shucked off his own clothing to match Castiel's nakedness.

"You know you're the only one I'd ever do this for…" Castiel breathed, his gaze lingering on Dean's face.

Dean smiled and nodded, "You're the only one I'd ever say that to." He stepped closer, his hand finding Castiel's cheek again though this time it shifted into a comforting stroke, his thumb tracing the outline of Castiel's pink and parted lips. Their expressions said all they needed to, love sparked between their stares as Castiel turned away, his hands bracing himself on the mattress, his legs slowly spreading.

Dean looked down at the view as he took his place behind his angel; trying to remember the last time they'd done it from behind. He knew they'd started in the shower once though Castiel's pleas to hurt him stopped that pretty quickly. His mind flashed back to the first time he was about to force himself on his lover, the tears that streaked Castiel's cheeks and that god-awful look in his eyes. Dean's hands found the smooth skin of his angel's ass, fingers trailing down to the eagerly waiting entrance.

"You know this marks a big milestone for us…" Dean smiled, leaning in and tracing Castiel's hole with his tongue.

Castiel moaned with a hint of annoyance, glancing backward, he knew exactly what Dean was getting at, he'd never forgotten that moment. It was when he first realized that there might be some good in his owner. "Dean, I understand what you're trying to do but I said fuck me, for god's sake." He snarled.

Dean smirked and gave Castiel's ass a good slap, "You're the boss, baby." He fished for his lube and coated his fingers, immediately pressing one inside Castiel and swirling it around. He closed his eyes and listened to the pleasured hiss it invoked, wriggling around a little more to earn a steady stream of gasps and groans. Dean pushed in a second digit and repeated the process until his partner was properly prepared. He pulled his fingers free, eyes trailing down to the heavy, blood-swollen weight hanging between Castiel's legs, a small dribble of pre-cum already glistening at the tip.

"Sweetie, you're dripping." Dean mocked as he coated his own twitching dick with the lubricant.

Castiel moaned gruffly into the pillows, his hips rocking eagerly. Dean pressed his cock to Castiel's entrance, pushing it in very slightly and enjoying the long and tortured mewling sounds his lover made. Dean pulled back again, "Gotta beg for it." He demanded playfully.

Castiel groaned, bucking backward but missing what he wanted, "Fuck you." He growled, "Just do it."

Dean pushed in like he'd done before, letting Castiel thrust backward again, his cock crashing against the angel's prostate and ripping an excited cry from Castiel. Dean grinned, though it felt good he pulled out again right before Castiel could do it again. "I know you know how to." Dean teased, his hand finding Castiel's tip and sliding his finger along the foreskin to gather the leaking fluid.

Castiel whimpered this time, his thighs shaking and back arching. "Damn it…" he said breathlessly.

"Come on, baby…" Dean gave a few light strokes to his angel's dick to coax him.

Castiel shuddered and whined, biting down on his lip. Dean thought about giving in just as Castiel blurted out; "Please! Please Dean... I…"

Dean pushed in, filling his angel up as best he could, gripping Castiel in a proper reach-around. "That's enough." He said soothingly, thrusting forward. Castiel cried out and pressed back against him, his body unsure of which way to move, either to follow Dean's thrusts or strokes of the hand.

Dean was surprised to find that amidst teasing Castiel he'd worked himself up pretty good. He held out until he felt Castiel's muscles tense the way they always did right before an orgasm, and they came together and definitely weren't quiet about it.

Castiel collapsed into the bed, not bothered by the mess. After a moment of clean up Dean joined him, pulling the blanket over their cooling skin and hauling Castiel into his arms. They breathed together in silence, Dean lightly kissing Castiel's forehead. "You're not my boyfriend anymore, hey?"

Castiel's head snapped up defensively, "What?"

Dean chuckled, "You're my fiancé now." He ruffled Castiel's hair, "Don't get so upset."

Castiel pouted, glaring up at Dean's hand momentarily though his expression softened soon after. "Yeah, I suppose I am." He giggled and snuggled down again, resting his cheek on Dean's chest with a light-hearted sigh. "I love you."

"Love you too." Dean kissed him again, smiling.

* * *

"Alright folks, today is the big day! The final round of the world championship tournament! Bella Talbot and her angel, the archangel Michael defending their title against our up-and-comers, the surprising underdog team of the year! Dean Winchester and fan favourite Castiel!"

The announcer's voice boomed over the intercom, Castiel standing quietly in their dressing room listening to it. He could almost feel the vibrations of all the fans marching throughout the stadium, children screaming and running excitedly, couples waiting impatiently in snack lines, all here to see a fight. A fight between brothers, a fight meant to end in blood and tears all to entertain them. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, "Father help me change their minds." He whispered softly, his hand grasping at the white cloth smooth against his skin.

Dean walked into the room, this time he'd been given something amazing to wear for the show. It was light and easy to move in but looked a lot like armor to simulate that he'd be in this battle as well. Though he wanted to excitedly squee about how awesome he looked, walking in on Castiel's prayer had him standing in silence. "You will." He said confidently, eyes fixed on the bright blue that turned to look at him.

Castiel nodded, they'd been through this pep talk a thousand times and yet today it seemed more important than ever that he ask for help. "What on earth do we plan to do against Michael?" He decided to say instead of trailing down the same conversation path, failing to see he asked this every time as well.

"Wing it." Dean snickered.

"Not funny." Castiel glared, his wings flaring out to make his point clearer.

Dean walked closer, his hand sliding through the soft feathers, earning shivers from Castiel's un-wanting spine. "We just do our best." Dean said what seemed to be their mantra, do what was in their power to do and do it like themselves. They couldn't ask for much more than that.

Castiel lowered his head and closed his eyes, "I don't think it'll be enough…"

"Listen, last time when you sparked up with God's secret weapon for you, that was the only thing he managed to give you, right?" Dean spoke calmly, soothingly.

Castiel nodded, looking up briefly.

"Well from what I remember seeing, you were stronger even before we used it and who says that it didn't have lasting effects?"

"Those are all hopes and if's, Dean." Castiel threw his arms out wide in a dramatic motion, eyes wide and desperate, "We're screwed!"

Dean's brow furrowed and he looked away, "And what do you want me to say here, Cas? 'No we're not' or 'We made it this far'? I know we're pretty much up a creek without a paddle but what's the friggin' point of freaking out now?"

Castiel, despite his curiosity about not understanding the creek comment, dropped his arms and walked to the other side of the room pretty much defeated. "I'm at a loss here, Dean…"

"So am I, Cas. We've pushed as hard as we can and fought harder. You wanted to keep doing this after I said we could quit so you tell me, what the hell are we doing here?" Dean's tone had dropped; every motion and sound he made gave away his anger and frustration.

"Dean-" Castiel's half-hearted attempt to retaliate was stunted when Dean shouted over him.

"Why are you fighting so hard if you'll wimp out when it looks tough!  **Why are we here, Cas?** "

"To make a stand!" Castiel screamed back at him, tears welling up in his eyes. "We're here because this is the only place I can think of that humans watch the angels deliberately. This is the only spotlight where an angel shines brighter, even for a moment, and they're actually heard. People have heard me; angels have been inspired by me. I  _need_  to win this or my boasts and speeches will be worth as much or less than the cheeseburgers your father used to capture me! I am here for angels, my brothers and sisters who are locked into these bonds against their wills and forced to do awful things at a human's whim." He ignored the wet streaks down his face as his anger and distress rose within him and out of him. "Today's battle decides whether or not I wasted my time and energy, whether or not I beat my brothers nearly to death for a reason or for nothing! I'm 'wimping out' because I have doubts! I'm a living, breathing, thinking being that doubts himself because I am far from perfect!"

Dean stood in silent awe, taking in his angel's words and considering them. He'd been too hard on Castiel, especially now. "Cas…"

"I just need… something to comfort me, even if it's a lie." Castiel wiped his eyes though the tears fell anyway.

Dean crossed the room and wrapped his arms lovingly around Castiel, his lips pressing against his angel's forehead, "I never want to lie to you…" He whispered softly, "What happens out there today doesn't change what you've done or why you did it."

"But the way people see it-"

"No, Cas. Your words were spoken straight from your heart and they had meaning in that moment regardless of how high up you were on the political angel ladder. People felt you, who you are and what you fought for. No one will mistake the ground you've broken and no one will take it lightly." Dean's hand braced the back of Castiel's head, fingers laced through the freshly cleaned locks of hair, holding his angel close and refusing to let him step away again.

Castiel closed his eyes and rested against Dean, his mind slowly finding peace before the fight. They remained this way until they were given the signal to head toward the arena. "Thank you, Dean." Castiel whispered as he lifted his head, a smile gracing his lips.

Dean stared down at the smile that tugged up Castiel's dismal expression, wondering why it looked so out of place there and why it hurt to see it. As they walked toward the doors, the dark corridor looming over them hauntingly, Dean realized that the final matches were without rules; one angel could kill another without penalty. It'd happened a few times in the championship matches and they were walking into one.

It was a shock the first time he saw a championship fight where it happened, he'd been sitting on the couch with his father, staring intently at the TV with all the excitement of a child. It was sudden, blood splattered the arena floor and one of the angels fell, his wing torn from his back by his brother whilst said brother hovered overhead. It had been ugly, thinking back on it now, Dean realized that the injured angel had begged for it to stop, scrabbling along and slipping in his bloody mess. Dean remembered his dad's astonished exclamation as one angel killed the other in a merciless move, John hadn't quite expected the fight to get so gory but there wasn't really any way to get Dean to 'un-see' it so instead he focused on the winner.

"Cas…" Dean took his partner's hand worriedly, the doors cracking open with light spilling out onto their faces.

Castiel looked at him and immediately understood why Dean looked so pale. This fight could go very badly for them, if it turned out that way. He squeezed Dean's hand with confidence, that smile coming up on his face again and though it was meant to reassure Dean, the young man hardly saw it that way.

"Introducing our fighters now! Coming from the North Entrance are our title holders, the defending champs Bella and Michael!" Dean and Castiel looked up at the big screen high above them, watching as the close ups flattered their opponents endlessly. Michael's chest was out, his eyes dark and aimed straight ahead as his wings flexed upward in a magnificent display. Bella's expression was decidedly neutral with a touch of arrogance interlaced within it; her outfit matching Dean's and, he had to say, it almost looked better on her. They'd probably designed it with her in mind anyway, that was the reason or so he figured.

"And our challengers coming in from the South Entrance, Dean and Castiel!" Dean looked ahead immediately, trying to match the determined and professional expressions he'd practiced in the mirror so many times when he imagined himself in this situation. His eyes flicked up again to see their images flashing across the massive screen and had to rethink the outfit thing, he still looked pretty damn good in it. When Castiel's face came up he saw that the angel was looking around at all the people, his gaze far from focused like Michael's or Bella's. At first Dean wanted to give a scrutinizing shove to his angel but when he heard the shrieks from the crowd he had to stop himself.

"Look at that, folks! Fan favourite Castiel has far from let the attention go to his head, still looks around the stadium like his first battle." A corresponding clip shone on the screen, Castiel's first steps into the Denver Arena to fight Jophiel, his eyes cold and glaring down every member of the crowd that he could look at between his entrance and the ring. Dean scrunched up his nose, not seeing the similarity. The way Castiel was currently looking at people his eyes were wide and a hairs width away from showing the fear he felt plain as day.

Clearly the crowd disagreed with the announcer because several people shouted out against him, something about how adorable Castiel was and whatever. Dean laughed a little, "You've got some major fans."

Castiel looked at him as he approached the ring this time, "Remember when we drove out to that first battle and I told you I was scared? What you had said to me?"

Dean nodded solemnly, "I promised you it'd be okay."

Castiel nodded and kissed Dean's cheek, hopping up onto the raised platform and marching to the center. Dean watched his back as he walked away and bit his lip, whispering under his breath, "And you told me I couldn't promise that…"

Michael ran a hand through his dark hair, watching Castiel's eyes calmly. "You've made it a long way, haven't you?"

Castiel nodded, "I've seen many of our siblings on my way here…"

"And hurt them, I'd imagine." Michael looked away for a moment then fixing a solid stare on Castiel again. "Such is our fate, brother."

"It doesn't have to be-"

"Don't waste your speeches on me, Castiel." Michael spoke smoothly, respecting Castiel's wish not to be nicknamed unless given the decided privilege. "It's all part of the game, isn't it? Play them the way you want and hope that it comes out the way you're planning. I know what you're up to and that it'll fail, you'll never beat me and therefore your promises will lie empty."

Castiel swallowed calmly, taking a breath, "Michael this isn't a game, this is your life that's being toyed with. You are an archangel, powerful and absolute, reduced to some woman's object-"

"She's far from what you'd think." Michael snapped, a surprising burst of anger before quickly regaining his composure. "I am not treated badly. We came to Earth seeking homes, a place to live among humans. I am her companion, not her slave."

Castiel squinted and tilted his head, confused. "Just because you're happy and safe doesn't mean everyone else is. What about the rest of them? Like Balthazar, or Joshua! Their humans were awful, despicable people! What about that company? Or the people who torture us?"

"I can't do anything for them, there's no reason to worry about it." Michael shook his head, "No, it's better not to think about it."

"How can you turn your head away and pretend it's not happening? Why haven't you done something?" Castiel cried angrily.

"What makes you think I can do anything from my position?" Michael snarled back, "You've got some serious delusions about being a world champion, Castiel. There's nothing you can do but stand back and look pretty for the cameras."

"I'm guessing she doesn't let you speak up during the interviews."

"There isn't anything to say."

Castiel shook his head, "You're broken, Michael. You've drifted too far from your family and into this slavery lifestyle."

The bell rang loudly, destroying any further chance they had of conversion. The ring dropped into the floor beneath them, opening up the arena into a deeper chasm that held an entirely different terrain. The floor continued to move until Dean and Bella fell into it as well, landing on the ground with as much grace as they could muster (not much, in Dean's case). Bella looked a little confused, looking up toward the cameras above them.

"Trying something new for this year's finale!" The announcer called excitedly through the speakers, the crowd ooing at the sight. "The humans will be joining their angels in the battle zone, if one of the team members goes down it's an instant lose."

Castiel's eyes, wide and panicked, shot to look at Dean who looked equally as freaked out. "Wait, what!" Dean shouted.

Bella swallowed hard and started moving away from Dean immediately. He was much larger than herself, she didn't much want to try duking it out with him.

Castiel looked to Michael who shockingly had a similar expression to his; they both stared the other down with intense defensive eyes, protective of their human. "One rule between us," Michael stated firmly, "This fight is between us, no targeting the humans."

Castiel nodded, "I agree completely." He paused, glancing down at the way Michael's body language had shifted; ready to fly to Bella's aid immediately. He smiled a little, "You… Love her, don't you?" He asked softly.

Michael's expression grew furious though he didn't move to deny the accusation, instead he looked away. "That's none of your concern, Castiel."

"Does she know?"

"We don't discuss things like that." Michael raised a hand, "Now I'd say it's time that we fight." A blast of light shot out, Castiel easily dodged it and dared a glance to watch where it went. He expected it to crash into the walls and destroy a piece of it but he was far from correct. The new arena set up was made to reflect all angelic particles, the actual angel or just a random shot that went flying. Instead of crashing and burning out the attack ricocheted off the wall and blasted into the ground.

The space was large but still limited. There wasn't enough space within the mile to be unscathed by an archangel's assault. Dean braced himself but still went flying, crashing into the opposing wall and crumpling to the earthen floor. Bella let out a sharp cry, dropping down to cover her head and tumbled along until she met a similar fate to Dean against an arena wall.

"Bella!" Michael shouted, bolting down to the ground beside her.

"Fight, you idiot," she said though still very shaken. "He'll take advantage of your stupidity, don't turn your back on an enemy."

Michael looked up to see Castiel standing next to Dean, patiently waiting for him to make sure she was all right. "I don't think I'll have that issue with this opponent, Bella." He smiled a little, surprised to see one of his brothers still acted this way.

Dean dusted himself off, "Alright well… That wasn't expected." He looked over at Castiel, "Go get him, tiger."

"I'm not a-"

"Just go." Dean shooed his confused angel away, "Don't worry about me, alright? I'll be fine, I promise."

Castiel furrowed his brow, "You can't promise that." He left Dean with those words, flying higher and followed by Michael.

Dean looked up at the two as they attempted to fight while holding back, watching as they went nowhere fast. "This fight will never end at this rate…"

"That's the point." Bella walked over to him hesitantly. "They want a change, something more exciting. They've done the 'angel on angel violence' thing, now it's time they mixed us into it. They're starting with this, just putting us in danger, but soon they'll make it so humans will be fighting as well. The rewards will be much, much higher and the esteem added will be huge for that team but it'll be dangerous as well. A lot harder for one team to just blow through like you guys did."

Dean looked at her, "So… this is where it starts? This fight, right now?"

"Pretty much," she nodded, crossing her arms.

Dean looked up again, "They'll never go all out, not with us in here ready to get hit by their rebound shots…" he shook his head and stuck out his hand, "Dean, by the way."

"Bella, nice to finally meet you." She shook his hand gratefully.

"Likewise, I've watched every match of yours on TV." He grinned, "What do you say we…" he nodded toward the fight above them, "Not do what they expect. I won't hit you if you don't hit me, fair?"

"I didn't want to fight you anyway," Bella nodded her agreement.

"Awesome." Dean couldn't help but wonder, even though they decided not to fight one another down on the ground they were bonded with their angels and duking it out high above them. Were they really 'not fighting' one another?

Michael growled angrily, pinning Castiel to a wall in frustration, "This isn't working,"

Castiel took a heavy breath and nodded, "We can't fight like this…" He looked down at Dean, far below him.  _"What do we do?"_

" _I'll be fine, Cas. Just hit him with everything you've got." Dean responded immediately._

" _No, even if I do hit him there'll still be a backlash and excess. You wouldn't survive."_

" _Then fight closer to us, where you can easily get in the way and deflect any excess backlash whatever. That's the only way, Cas. He'll out last you otherwise." Dean instructed._

Though it was a stupid idea Castiel couldn't see any other option.  _"Fine but you'd better be pretty damn athletic down there."_

" _Come on it's me! You've seen me in bed, I'm pretty athletic-"_

" _Not the time."_  Castiel raised a hand to Michael's face and blasted him backward. He quickly recovered himself and hurdled toward the arena floor, beating the bouncing ball of energy and landing just in time to smack it into the ground away from the humans.

"That's how we're playing this, is it?" Michael snarled and followed suit, eyes flashing with a white light as he aimed straight for Castiel.

The battle's intensity shot through the roof as the two fought right next to their humans, concentrating on protecting their partners, hitting one another, and deflecting the ricocheting attacks to protect themselves as well. It was more than a game of pinball after a few moments, everything moved so fast that Dean wasn't even sure he could see where anything was coming from anymore.

He was shocked when Castiel tackled him to the ground and shielded them both with his wings, loud explosions sounding and quaking. Castiel trembled until they stopped; his eyes squeezed shut from the pain. Clearly they'd connected with him or some debris from where they had landed hit him. His wings dropped and he looked up to see that Michael had done the same, there had been too many reflected attacks flying about that it would have been impossible to save Dean or Bella from all of them. Both angels wheezed heavily, Castiel could see he'd gotten lucky this time; he hadn't been hit directly by one of Michael's ricochets, but the archangel had been.

Dean sat upright, looking across at Bella to take in her completely distraught expression.  _'What could she be looking at?'_  He thought before he saw the red puddle forming at Michael's feet. The archangel winced and stood up again, being more than a regular angel he had more than one set of wings, in fact he had 3 of them… Had. On one side he'd lost two of the three, one of the other three had been damaged severely.

Castiel swallowed hard, if any of those attacks had hit him his wings would not have been enough to save Dean, at least Michael had back ups though it still hurt to see his brother this way. "Your wings…" Castiel said quietly.

Michael looked a little confused for a moment as he glanced to where he expected to see wounds but was surprised when two on one side had been blown to pieces. He'd never been injured that way before and clearly the pain hadn't quite reached his brain yet. Despite the urge to panic he composed himself for another assault, "You're going down, Castiel."

Dean stood up behind Castiel again, watching the way his angel stood, knowing the doubts that were swarming his mind. It was one thing to risk himself for this cause but to risk Dean too?

"Cas, remember we're a team, we do everything together." Dean said reassuringly, swallowing what fear had been pushing at the back of his throat.

Castiel nodded and stepped forward again, "Michael, you're seriously wounded, you should step down before it gets worse."

"You didn't hurt me," Michael scoffed, "I'm not going to step down from you."

"The odds really aren't in your favour." Castiel tried to reason, mentally praying that it worked and he wouldn't have to face the monstrous strength of his brother.

Michael didn't step down though; instead he flew at Castiel, the arena rumbling in his wake. He was slower than he normally would be, which at least gave Castiel a chance to defend. The angel was hurdled backward again into the wall behind him, Michael pinning him there with an onslaught of melee attacks, slamming him into the ground at the end.

Castiel hacked and coughed up blood, he slumped down but was hardly given a break by Michael, lifted up again for another beating.

Dean wanted to get in there, to stop them but he knew full well that it'd take a single flick of Michael's pinky to send his head flying off. "Cas come on!" he shouted, not catching the desperation in his voice. "Don't let him do this to you, fight back!" Of course he knew it was harder than just 'fight back' when it came to one of the strongest angels in existence. Dean could only watch as Castiel was pummeled past the point of it being any kinds of alright. "Come on…" Dean's eyes teared up as he saw his angel's limbs slump, the life drain from Castiel's features. "No… You're supposed to win…"

Castiel hit the ground with a bloody thud, his wings mangled thanks to Michael's persistence. The archangel stood over him, aiming a hand down at him again, smiling. He knew it wouldn't ricochet if Castiel was on the ground.

Dean shook his head, "NO! Cas you can't! You're supposed to marry me, damn it!" He screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks, "How can you save anyone if you're dead, huh!"

Castiel flinched, his eyes flickering open just as Michael launched his attack. The explosion was much larger than expected; it blasted outward but then quickly pulled inward, swirling around Castiel's lifted hands.

Michael stared down, his expression twisted at first but soon just fell slack in awe. "You…" he blinked incredulously, "You found…"

Castiel crushed the attack between his palms dissipating it entirely as he stood, blood trickling down his face, eyes a brilliantly pure white light. "Found what?" He asked calmly, his wings lifting and mending themselves.

"Every angel has one human in all creation that is their match, the one they are meant to watch over, be their guardian and protector. You've… found yours. Dean isn't just your chosen soul mate, it's destiny." Michael stepped back toward Bella, "I've never seen an angel actually find their soul mate."

Castiel looked back to Dean, and for the first time saw straight through to Dean's self without having to concentrate, everything was automatic. Their bond was perfection, their connection flawless. They were the perfect team. He looked back to Michael and smiled, "I guess I knew that."

Michael looked at Bella, eyes large with what she was surprised to see was fear, "Please, give up the fight." He urged.

She shook her head, "We can't just give up the title-"

"It's just a stupid title!" Michael shouted, turning back to look at Castiel who had stepped up in front of him.

"Don't worry, you won't have to fight me." He said casually, placing the tips of two fingers to Michael's forehead, knocking the archangel out cold. He waved a hand over Michael's wings and healed them, the thought of losing any wings at all disturbed him and ruffled his feathers in a way he really didn't like.

Bella stared down at Michael, at a complete loss for something to say.

The arena floor suddenly moved and they were lifted back up to ground level, the crowd cheering and the announcer yammering on about the soul mate thing. Dean huffed out a laugh as the cameras focused on them, his face coming up on the many different display screens. "We won…"

"Dean Winchester and Castiel, everyone! Our new World Champions!" The crowd shrieked with joy, the roar was overwhelming to their ears. Instantly they were the center of attention. Dean's arm was lifted up by the referee as the champ as Crowley approached with a swarm of camera people behind him.

"Congrats, duckies." He smiled wide, lifting up the world tournament trophy, "This is for you." It was solid gold; diamond studs surround the black plaque with the year carved into it. The statue on top was made to look like two angels in mid combat, their wings flaring out wildly for dramatic appeal. "I knew you two would win." He laughed, posing for the cameras as he handed the thing over.

Dean looked over at Castiel who was barely coming down from their bond-high, the glowing in his eyes slowly dimming away. "We won." Dean repeated, still in shock.

Castiel stared blankly at the trophy then looked down at Michael who started to sit up, shaking his head. "Michael, are you alright?"

Michael looked back at his wings and smiled softly, "Yeah… I…" he looked up at Castiel again, "Why would you spare me? I've hurt so many of our brothers… I would have killed you."

"Vengeance and harming you isn't why I'm here." Castiel smiled and stuck his hand down to Michael, "But if you want to repay me I suggest starting with telling Bella what you're feeling."

Michael's face flushed red for a moment, glancing over at Bella who looked legitimately glad that he wasn't dead. "Maybe you're right…" He shook his head, "Regardless, good match, Castiel."

"Cas." Castiel responded with a solid shake of Michael's hand after pulling him to his feet.

"Cas it is then." Michael grinned, glad to have earned the right that Castiel deemed so important. "Well then, Cas. I suppose I'll see you again during the next major tournament, assuming Bella wants to give it a shot."

"I think we should train." Bella piped in, taking Michael's arm in hers, "It seems we've gotten lazy after all this time on top."

Michael nodded, "Sounds good." He gave Castiel a wave, similar to the one Bella gave Dean, and they exited the arena with dignity.

Dean took Castiel's hand firmly, "We made it, Cas. Time to start fighting our way through these thick skulls."

Castiel nodded, "One step at a time, we'll do our best."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Part 1 of the trilogy. 
> 
> Short summary for Angel Training 2: Save Us
> 
> Angels are enslaved by mankind and despite the attempts of Dean and Castiel, Sam and his rebel group, things are getting complicated. Main story takes place 5 years after Angel Training. The political and controversial game comes to an end when Lucifer joins the play.

**Author's Note:**

> For those that remember this story on fanfiction.net you already know me fairly well. For the rest; hello! :D I just wanted to say thank you for giving my work the time of day ^_^ I appreciate it! If you could let me know what you thought with a comment or 'kudos' as this site calls them, you'd really make my day :D Thanks again


End file.
